Disguised Affection
by lsr188
Summary: When Troy's assigned to an undercover case with the Montez family can he keep his focus maintained when one person in the family he is supposed to be bringing down is becoming his biggest distraction. Co-written with cj10824. TxG AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disguised Affection**

Troy walked into the office only to see the chief relaxing in his chair with his feet on the desk. His relaxed state just made Troy even angrier. He couldn't believe that he was the only one who was upset about what happened during the operations meeting.

"Yeah chief?" Troy greeted wearily as he continued rubbing his eyes.

"You're going undercover." The chief said. Troy was about to interrupt when the chief held up his hand to stop him. "Now I know you just got through with your last undercover job, but we need you in this one. You're the only one we got whose actually believable with this shit."

"So this is the reason you aren't letting me in on the sting operation that I organized?" Troy asked annoyed.

"Thompson can do that. I need you on this case." The chief said taking his feet off the desk and sitting up in his chair.

"Thompson doesn't know what the hell he's doing!" Troy snapped.

"Bolton this is my decision and it's final! You're going undercover and Thompson is doing the sting. Is that clear!?" The chief bellowed."You're an FBI agent, start acting like one. Now get out!"

Troy stood up and walked out of the chief's office in a huff. He walked blindly past his co-workers' desks, not bothering to answer them when they called out to him. He made it to his office and slammed the door. He put both hands on his desk and tried to calm down. All of the sudden, Troy violently swiped his hands across his desk making all the papers strewn across it scatter throughout the room. There was a knock on the door before it swung open.

"Here's the file on your next assignment." Thompson handed him the manila folder before walking out without saying another word.

Troy sighed and grabbed the folder and sat at his desk before proceeding to open it. Troy's office door suddenly burst open to reveal three pissed off guys.

"Thompson!? THOMPSON!?" One of them yelled.

Troy nodded his head in response to his outburst, "I know Chad, I'm just as pissed" He said pushing the envelope away.

"Thompson hasn't even done a sting operation. How could they put him in charge?" Another one asked.

"Thompson must be fucking the chief's daughter." Troy said with a smirk.

"That wouldn't surprise me. That's how he got what he wanted last time" Chad scoffed

"I am not working with Thompson." The guy said sternly.

"Zeke you don't have a choice. You and I both know that." Troy said calmly before he started eyeing the folder he had pushed away.

"So they put you on another assignment?" The other one asked pointing to the envelope.

"Yeah…so much for going home and sleeping." Troy said in frustration.

"Dude you just pulled a 16 hour shift. Go home!" he said.

"Jason I can't. I have a debriefing on the new case and then I have to start getting ready to go undercover." Troy said with a shrug.

"Well, we gotta go suit up for the sting. See you after?" Chad asked.

"Hopefully. Be careful guys." Troy said grabbing the folder and pulling it closer to him as the guys left his office. Troy opened the folder and pulled out a thick packet of information. He read the first page.

_**Montez Family**_

_Gregorio Montez__: boss, 54 yrs old, seems to be in great health, working on training his eldest son to take over the business, very protective of Gabriella.  
__Gabriella Montez__: only daughter, 21 yrs old, goes to NYU, has some handlings in the family business.  
__Joseph "Joe" Montez__: eldest son, 25 yrs old, the heir of the family business, runs most of the operations  
__Michael Montez__: youngest son, 23 yrs old, takes care of most of the drug aspect of the business._

_**Soldatos**_

_Matteo Sanchez__: 27 yrs old, bookie, best friends with Joseph Montez.  
__Juan Riviera__: 45 yrs old, Gregorio's right hand man, been in the "family" for 25 yrs.  
__Raul Gomez__: 24 yrs old, newest member, does a little bit of everything, has been trying to get Gabriella to notice him for the last year and a half._

Troy sighed as he finished reading the first bit of info. He had heard about the Montez family and that they were already suspicious of everyone they met. Troy had no idea how he was meant to pull this off. Troy turned the page to see who he was supposed to be now.

_**Tomas Martinez**_

_24 yrs old. Tomas has lived in New York his whole life. Was in some gangs in the younger years but eventually made it into the mafia at age 19. Tomas has been suggested by a few anonymous sources that he is the best to help out with the repayment aspect of the business._

Troy threw down the packet of information on his desk and leaned back. The Montez family was the biggest drug smuggling consumer in the Northern United States, and bringing them down was going to be one of the hardest assignments that he had ever done. Troy picked up the packet again, flipped to the third page and started reading up on everything he would need to know.

Troy rubbed his hands over his tired eyes as he finished reading the last page of information. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, if he was going to pull this off it was going to be one hell of a challenge. Troy looked at the clock on the wall and realized that it had taken him two and a half hours to get through all that information. _The guys should be back by now. _Troy got up from his desk and walked into the main room to see that all three of their desks were empty. Troy furrowed his eyes in confusion before locating another agent that went on the operation across the room.

"Hills!" Troy yelled trying to get his attention. Hills looked up and saw Troy beckoning him over and made his way over.

"Bolton." He said with a nod when he reached Troy.

"Where are Cross, Baylor, and Danforth?" Troy asked in confusion.

"They had to take Cross to the hospital. He got hit." Hills said sheepishly.

Troy patted him on the shoulder quickly before turning around and rushing to his office, "Thanks Hills!" Troy called over his shoulder. Troy grabbed his badge and his jacket off his chair before rushing out of his office and out of the building.

The elevator doors opened on the third floor of the hospital as Troy rushed out and made a beeline to the nurses' station.

"What room is Jason Cross in?" Troy asked.

"Sir I can't give out that information." The nurse said.

Troy reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out his badge to show her, "What room is Jason Cross in?" Troy repeated more sternly.

The nurse rolled her eyes and looked down at the computer screen for a brief second before looking back up at Troy.

"Room 210." She said.

Troy nodded his head, "Thanks." Troy found room 210 and knocked on the door before opening it. Troy walked in to see Chad and Zeke sitting in chairs by the bed, "Hey guys. How's he doing?" Troy asked while walking to the side of the bed and looking at Jason's pale face.

"They got the bullets out but he lost a lot of blood, so until he wakes up they won't know for sure." Zeke replied as he stood up.

"How did this happen?" Troy asked turning to Chad and Zeke.

"Thompson changed the formations and the entry points from what you originally laid out. Then he changed everyone's assignment right before we went in." Chad said spitefully.

Troy's hands clenched into fists as he listened to what Chad was saying. "I'll be right back." Troy said through clenched teeth. Troy walked out of the room and tried to control his breathing. He walked down the hall towards the waiting room and saw Thompson leaning against the wall by the door. Troy walked up to Thompson and grabbed him by the collar.

"What the hell is your problem? You can't pull shit like that in an operation." Troy bellowed in his face.

"It was an accident." Thompson said throwing his hands up in submission.

"Yeah an accident that could have cost Cross his life all because you had a fucking power trip. He has a little girl at home did you know that? Because of your mistake Angie could lose her father!" Troy yelled

"UNCLE TWOY!" a little girl screamed, running down the hallway towards him. Troy let go of Thompson and bent down to scoop her up in his arms.

"Hey Angel face." Troy said pulling her into a hug, "How are you?"

"Im good. Nana bwought me to see daddy." Angie said quickly. Troy looked past Thompson and saw Mrs. Cross standing a little further down the hall with a worried look on her face.

"How about we go see if daddy's awake." Troy said looking down at Angie while tickling her stomach.

"Alwight." Angie said through her giggles.

Troy shot Thompson a harsh glare before walking back to the room, hoping that Jason was awake. Troy opened the door while resting Angie on his hip and walked inside to see Jason sitting up with a nurse checking his vitals.

"DADDY!" Angie yelled while squirming in Troy's arms trying to get down. Troy obliged, as soon as he set her down she ran over to her father and climbed into the bed.

"Hey Ang were you a good girl today?" Jason asked softly.

"Yes daddy." Angie said sweetly before burying into Jason's side.

"Hey man. How are you feeling?" Troy asked.

"Like I just got shot." Jason said with a chuckle lightly. Troy just shook his head at Jason. "So what about your undercover case?" Jason asked pulling Angie in closer as she started to fall asleep.

"Well after I leave here I am going to have to go get my hair dyed and get some colored contacts. I have to look Hispanic so hopefully it won't take too much." Troy said with a shrug.

"I can't believe they put you on another undercover case when you just got off one." Chad said in disgust.

"What case is it?" Zeke asked from his spot across the room.

"Montez." Troy said quietly. All three guys' eyes shot up to look at Troy.

"They're sending you in?" Chad asked astonished,

"Did they happen to look over what happened the last time they sent someone in?" Jason asked.

"That's going to be one hell of a bust." Zeke said quietly.

"Yes they're sending me in Chad." Troy said looking at Chad, "I'm not going to make the mistakes the last guy did." Troy said looking at Jason. Troy turned to look at Zeke and smirked, "and yeah…I know."

* * *

Erin A/N: Hey guys! ok so i hope you all enjoy the first chapter. Don't worry i won't forget about MG cause im sure you all wouldn't let me. I decided to write a story with Corri because she is an amazing writer. This story will be updated EVERY sunday without fail unless something goes completely wrong. lol. REVIEW and let us know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disguised Affection**

Troy walked out of the hair salon running his hand through his darker and shorter hair. He put his sunglasses on as he made his way back to his apartment. As he came up to his door he stopped as he heard some commotion inside. Troy pulled out his gun and pressed his back against the wall as he surveyed the surrounding area. Satisfied that no one was around he slowly turned the doorknob and found that it was unlocked. He carefully pushed the door open and turned around to look into his apartment with his gun raised, ready to shoot whoever had broken into his house. Troy slowly inched his way inside and watched for any movement in his peripheral vision. Troy heard something crash in a room towards the back. He walked towards the hallway and slowly made his way down.

"Troy?" A voice from behind him asked. Troy spun around ready to shoot, "WHOA!" Chad yelled throwing himself behind a wall.

"What the hell Chad!?" Troy yelled in aggravation as he lowered his gun and put it back in its holster.

"Nice hair man," Chad laughed, earning a glare from Troy.

"Shut up. What are you doing in my house anyway?"

"I brought Angie over. She wanted to see you and I thought it'd be good for her to get away from the hospital."

"What was that crashing noise before?"

"Oh," Chad sheepishly grinned. "I may have accidentally knocked over your trophy shelf."

Troy rolled his eyes, and was about to say something but, a cute little voice interrupted him.

"Hi Uncle Twoy!"

Troy grinned as Angie hugged him around his legs. He bent down and scooped her into his arms, flipping her upside down momentarily causing her to giggle.

"Hi Angel face." Troy grinned as she sloppily kissed his cheek.

"Your hair is diffewent," the little girl exclaimed as she played with a few strands of hair.

"Yep, it is. Do you like it?" Troy smiled as the little girl nodded and grinned.

"Uncle Twoy?"

"Yeah sweetie?"

"I'm thirsty."

"Okay, how bout we get you some chocolate milk?" Troy asked as the little girl smiled and nodded emphatically.

"Oooo, chocolate milk!" Chad licked his lips in anticipation as Troy rolled his eyes.

Troy set Angie down on the counter before walking over to the fridge and grabbing the milk and chocolate syrup.

Angie grinned as she was handed her cup of chocolate milk. "Thanks Uncle Twoy."

"You're welcome Angel face," Troy ruffled the little girl's hair. "So Chad, how did you get in my house?"

"Your spare key. By the way dude, for an FBI agent, you suck at hiding keys. Under the plant? Could you be any more obvious?"

"Screw you."

Chad grinned as he walked over to the fridge. "Yes! Pizza! I knew it was a good idea to come over here," Chad said excitedly as he pulled out the box of leftover pizza.

"So much for that being my dinner tonight," Troy muttered as he watched Chad grab a slice of pizza.

Troy picked Angie up, and the three headed towards the den. As they sat on the couch, Angie curled up to Troy, snuggling into his chest, falling asleep moments later.

Chad smiled as he watched Troy lay Angie down on the couch and cover her with a blanket.

"She's gonna miss you."

Troy smiled softly as he ran his fingers through her hair. "The feeling's mutual."

"I still can't believe they're sending you in so quickly after you just got done with the other assignment."

"Well as much as I hate that I have to go undercover again, this is the Montez family we're talking about. It's gonna be huge to bring them down."

"Yeah, and dangerous. The agency has been trying to bring them down for years and so far, no one's been able to do it."

"I'll be fine Chad."

"Dude, do you remember what happened last time they sent someone in? Anderson was one of the top agents in the agency."

"Anderson wasn't me. I've got this Chad," Troy said firmly and confidently. He knew it was going to be one of the toughest operations he'd ever faced, but he was up for the challenge. As much as he hated to admit it, the chief was right. Troy was a very good undercover agent—the best the agency had seen in a long time. The Montez family was very dangerous and very good at what they did but, Troy was the same way, and he was up for the challenge.

--

Troy wiped the sweat off of his brow and stepped back from the punching bag. He had gotten up early that morning, and had been working out all day. He wasn't sure when, but he knew he'd be infiltrating the Montez family operation within the week. Tomas Martinez was supposed to be a badass to put it simply—working as a bookie and a drug smuggler meant Troy would have to be rough with people. He'd often be used to send a message to people who tried to cross the Montez family. This was going to be a tough assignment, and Troy knew he had to stay mentally focused and remain physically prepared.

"Bolton!"

Troy turned his attention away from the punching bag.

"Chief wants to see you."

Troy nodded and walked towards the locker room. After showering and changing into his suit, Troy walked upstairs to the offices.

Knocking on the door, he entered once he heard the chief call him in.

"You wanted to see me Chief?" The Chief nodded and gestured for Troy to take a seat.

"Bolton, I see you have taken care of looking the part."

"Yes sir," Troy said as he sat down in the chair across from the Chief's desk.

"Good. And you've read the file?" Troy nodded. "Alright, we got a report in today that we need to send you in soon."

"How soon?"

"Tomorrow. You are to arrive at the Montez home early in the morning. They are looking for someone with your qualifications, or rather Tomas' qualifications. You need to sell it to them that you are the right man for the job. Most likely, they will be checking up on you frequently. So, you need to maintain a good cover. This means no spending time with family or friends. And, more importantly, we can't have you come in to the agency at all to report back in. You won't be bugged or anything. As you did for your last assignment, you will drop status reports off at the specified drop locations every week or if new developments occur. Any questions?"

"No sir."

The Chief nodded and stood up as Troy did. "Good luck Bolton."

"Thank you sir," Troy said as he shook the Chief's hand

"One more thing Bolton," the Chief added. "We need you to stay focused. We can't afford to screw this up."

Troy nodded before turning and rolling his eyes while exiting the Chief's office. He knew the case would be tough and unpredictable, but one thing Troy knew for certain was that he wasn't going to let anything get in the way of his job.

--

Troy sighed as he opened the hospital room door to reveal three of his best friends, Mr. and Mrs. Cross, and Angie.

"Hey Jason, how do you feel?"

"Like crap. I'm exhausted, but I can't wait to get out of here."

Troy nodded and took a seat in an empty chair by Jason's bed. He smiled as Angie crawled up into his lap.

"How long do you have to stay?"

"They said at least a week. We'll see. I got hit a few times."

"Well normally, people duck out of the way when they're being shot at," Chad jeered. "Ahh!" Chad yelled as a tissue box hit him in his head.

"Well normally, people duck out of the way when a tissue box is flying at their head," Jason mimicked as the room burst into laughter.

"So Troy, when do you go in for your assignment?" Zeke questioned.

Troy nervously glanced at Angie, and Jason's mom picked up on the hint.

"Angie, how about you come with Grandpa and me to get some ice cream downstairs?"

The little girl's eyes lit up as she jumped off Troy's lap and sprinted towards the door, causing everyone to laugh.

"So when do you go in?" Zeke repeated.

"Tomorrow," Troy replied simply.

"Dude, that's really soon. I thought you had a few more days."

"Me too, but the Chief said they are ready, and I need to get in there before someone else does."

"You gonna have backup, or a handler or anything?" Jason asked as he stretched a little to sit up more comfortably.

"Nah, the Montez family is pretty good at checking up on people, as evident in the last case. I'll be checking in once in awhile, but who knows how long before we bust these guys and I come back."

"So we won't be seeing you for awhile," Zeke stated the obvious.

"Probably not. This is going to be a long assignment—much more detailed than my last one."

The guys were interrupted by a nurse walking in to inform them visiting hours were wrapping up.

"I have to go anyways. I need to be at the Montez home early in the morning."

Troy gave each of his buddies a hug before walking up to Jason.

"Feel better man. Take care of that little girl too," Troy told him as he smiled.

"Always do," Jason replied. "Be safe man."

"Always."

Troy waved as he walked out of the hospital room. Walking down the hallway, he ran into Mr. and Mrs. Cross and Angie. Troy smiled as Angie held out her arms, and he obliged taking the little girl from her grandpa.

"Are you leaving Uncle Twoy?"

"Yeah. I am going on a little vacation."

"For how long?"

"It's gonna be awhile sweetie."

"But you just got back from a vacation." The little girl protested as her eyes began to well up with tears.

Troy's heart broke as he hugged the girl tightly.

"I know sweetie, I'm sorry."

"Can I come with you?" She asked hopefully. "I'll be good, I promise."

"You need to stay here with your dad. He's gonna need your help to get better. Can you do that?"

Angie grinned and nodded.

"That's my girl. And, I'll tell you what. When I get back, we'll go to the beach for a week. How's that sound?"

"A whole week?"

Troy smiled and nodded his head.

"I'm gonna miss you Uncle Twoy!" Angie exclaimed as she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"I'll miss you too Angel face," Troy whispered in her ear as he gently rubbed her back.

--

Troy threw his keys on the counter as he walked into the kitchen. Grabbing a glass of water, he sat down at the table and read over the files one last time. He knew he had to be prepared, and that any minor misstep could compromise the entire operation. He had to maintain focus.

After finishing reading the packet, Troy decided to run through a few of the things he needed to do in order to make it believable that he was Tomas Martinez.

"Tomas Martinez", Troy said to himself as he paced around his kitchen trying to perfect a slight Spanish accent.

Flipping open his _Complete Idiot's Guide to Speaking Spanish_, Troy began to refresh his memory on the language. He had taken courses in college, but he knew that he had to be familiar with everything from the everyday phrases to the more complex sentences.

"Hola. Me llamo Tomas Martinez."

"Tu casa es muy bonita."

"You know some people consider people who talk to themselves crazy."

Troy whirled around in shock, and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Chad smirking, leaning up against the wall.

"Dude, this is the second time today!"

"What?" Chad asked innocently. "Can't I come pay a visit with my best friend?"

"Not when he's getting ready for the biggest undercover job of his career," Troy said as Chad grinned.

"I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were good to go."

"Yeah, I think I'm good. I've been studying up on a few things, and I feel like I'm as prepared as I'll ever be."

"You'll do great man. I better take off so you can get some sleep. Good luck," Chad said as he gave Troy one last hug. "See you whenever."

"Yeah, whenever. Thanks Chad."

Chad nodded before walking out the front door towards his car.

Troy walked back into the kitchen and flicked off all the lights, deciding he should get some sleep.

--

"Uhh!" Troy moaned as he rolled over and knocked his alarm clock onto the ground. "This case better be worth getting up at 5:00 in the morning."

After getting showered and getting dressed, Troy walked in his kitchen and drank his morning coffee. He read over a few things quickly and then grabbed his bags from his room. Setting his bags on the front porch, Troy closed the front door and locked it.

The now brown-eyed guy with jet black hair turned and walked down his front steps, ready to become Tomas Martinez.

* * *

Erin A/N: Hey guys! ok so this ch is actually a few hrs early but ONLY because i have to work tomorrow. The response for the first ch was amazing and i can honestly say that this story is going to be amazing. Me and Corri are working on it all the time and writing ahead. I hope you all are enjoying this story as it has become my all time fav as it is probably Corri's too. Finals are this week, so wish me luck, and MG should be updated next weekend. Enjoy the ch and don't forget to review.

Corri A/N: Thanks so much for your response to the first chapter. I hope you guys enjoy the second chapter. Please review and let us know what you think. We appreciate it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disguised Affection**

Troy stood at the road looking up at the house wondering what was awaiting him inside. He took a deep breath and he repositioned the strap of his bag on his shoulder and started walking up the pathway. The Montez estate's ground was very well kept, the flowers were in bloom and the grass was a bright color green that Troy had never seen before. As Troy approached the door it was opened before he even reached up to ring the door bell.

"The boss is waiting." The guy from inside the doorway said motioning him to follow him.

Troy nodded not bothering to speak, as the first rule of being a part of the mafia was 'do not speak unless spoken to'. As Troy made his way through the house to what he was assuming was the office, he took in his surroundings. The walls were filled with pictures of family members, which he realized none of them had more than one picture on the wall and there were at least 30 lining the hallway. The guy in front stopped in front of a dark mahogany door.

"Boss." The guy said while lightly knocking on the door.

"Enter." A deep voiced called back.

The guy opened the door and motioned him inside. Troy stepped in and saw an aged man sitting at the desk shuffling through some papers.

"I assume you are Tomas Martinez." Gregorio stated not looking up from his work, "I've heard great things about you. Take a seat." He said motioning to the chair sitting in front of him. Troy took the seat but didn't get comfortable. The aged man looked up for the first time his eyes zoning in on Troy, "I know what I'm looking for. The last guy couldn't keep up so we had to take care of some business, are we going to have to resort to the same tactics with you?" He asked leaning back against his chair.

"No." Troy answered.

"Good. Don't disappoint me. My son Michael will show you your room. Dinner will be served promptly at 6:00 and I expect you to be there. After dinner I have something I need you to take care of for me. Are we clear on everything?" He asked.

"Yes sir." Troy said not bothering to move until he was instructed to.

"Excellent, my son will fill you in on everything else as I have some business I have to attend to. It was pleasant meeting you Tomas and I can't wait to see what you bring to this family." Gregorio said right before the door opened to reveal a lean Latino.

"You asked for me Papa?" The guy asked. Troy looked the guy over assuming that this was Michael.

"Yes, show Tomas his room and bring him up to speed on everything." Gregorio said with a dismissive wave.

Troy stood up taking this as his cue to follow Michael. As they reached the stairs in the foyer Michael looked back at Troy.

"So you're the new guy?" Michael asked with a smirk.

"It would appear so." Troy said matching that smirk. As they continued to walk Troy took in his surroundings, at some point he would have to search all these rooms and there had to be at least 17 rooms in the estate. Troy continued to observe as they continued down the hall passing more pictures along the way. _How many people are in this freaking family? I haven't passed a single picture with the same person in it yet._ Troy thought to himself as he followed behind Michael. Michael stopped in front of a door and opened it before walking in.

"Here's where you'll be." Troy gazed around the room taking in the double bed under the window, the desk in the corner with a lamp on it, and the dresser with a small TV on top. "Tonight after dinner, you'll be coming with myself, Mateo, and Raul. I'll let you get situated here. Come downstairs after you're done and meet me in the den. I'll introduce you to Raul, Matteo, and Joe, and we'll go over tonight's job."

Troy nodded as he walked over and set his things on the bed.

"Feel free to look around a little too. The closest bathroom is down the hall to the left, second door on the right."

"Thanks."

Michael nodded and walked out the door, closing it softly. Troy took a deep breath as he observed the room that would be his home for who knew how long.

After unpacking his entire luggage, Troy ventured out into the hallway. He saw there were four more bedrooms at his end of the hallway, and at the opposite end he found the bathroom and another bedroom. The door of the bedroom was cracked open, and he peered in observing what he assumed was Gabriella's room due to the NYU poster hanging above the flower print bed. Troy gently closed the door, and walked downstairs.

"Tomas," Michael greeted standing up from his seat. Troy walked into the den and nodded his head at Michael, noticing the three other men in the room. "Tomas this is Raul, Matteo, and Joe," Michael introduced as he gestured towards the three men respectively.

Troy walked over and shook hands with each guy before sitting down on the couch next to Michael.

"Tomas, we're told you have experience in drug smuggling," Joe, the older, more built Montez son said as Troy nodded. "Good. Tonight I'm sending you with Michael, Raul, and Matteo. A recent client didn't pay up, and we need to get it out of him. Matteo will be driving. Raul will take care of Gonzales, and you will help Michael take care of any of his men. Understood?"

Troy nodded. He knew what this assignment would entail, and as an undercover FBI agent, he had to keep up this front.

"Okay. You three will leave tonight at 8:00. Tomas, we will see you at dinner at 6:00," Joe informed them as they all stood up and Troy walked into the kitchen and grabbed a soda out of the fridge.

"So…you from around here?" Troy heard someone ask from behind him, he turned to see Raul leaning up against the doorframe.

"Yeah, you could say that." Troy said with a shrug before taking a sip of his soda.

"Let's make one thing clear while you are here. You may be good at what you do, but I'm above you and I'm not here to be your friend." Raul said menacingly.

"Good because I'm not here to make friends, I'm here to do my job." Troy said smoothly before walking past him and making his way back upstairs. As Troy approached the stairs he heard someone call out to him.

"Tomas!" The person yelled.

Troy took a moment to process the name remembering that that was now his name. Troy turned to see Joe making his way towards him. "Change of plans. You have to leave now." Joe said indicating Troy to follow him. Troy nodded his head throwing his soda away before walking out to the garage to see Raul, Michael and Matteo standing by a car.

"Let's go Tomas!" Michael called out while getting in the car. Troy jogged over to the car and briskly slid inside where everyone was now already buckled and ready to go. The car sped away from the estate heading towards the destination.

"Tomas are you packing?" Matteo asked. Troy nodded his head pulling out his gun to show him that he was indeed armed. "Good." Matteo said, "Because we don't have time to load up, Gonzales is trying to run. He somehow caught wind that he was getting a visit tonight. You remember what you are supposed to do right?" He asked while keeping his eyes on the road.

Troy nodded, "I'm supposed to make sure no one gets involved while Raul is dealing with Gonzales."

Matteo nodded. The car pulled into a parking lot that was partially filled up. Michael and Raul got out which Troy soon followed. They made their way to the door of what looked like a strip club; the bouncer at the door took one look at them and opened the door without saying a word. Raul led the way to a room that was in the very back concealed from the active areas of the club. Raul forcefully opened the door to see Gonzales putting papers in a briefcase.

"I know you aren't planning to go anywhere Gonzales, especially not when you owe Gregorio money." Raul said stepping closer, "Michael, Tomas why don't you go pay a visit to his goons and make sure they don't interrupt our little 'meeting'." He said to Troy and Michael but never took his eyes off Gonzales. Troy and Michael left the room only to see two guys making their way to where the 'meeting' was taking 

place. One of the guys came up and punched Troy trying to get to the room as they heard Gonzales screaming out for their aide.

Troy slammed him against the wall and brought his gun out and holding it to the guy's temple, "Big mistake. DON'T touch me!" Troy said through clenched teeth. Troy looked over to see Michael with the other guy pinned against the wall and doing the same thing. All of a sudden a gun shot rang out through the air. Michael and Troy looked at the door waiting to see who would walk out. The door opened to reveal Raul with an envelope filled with cash in his hand. "Take care of business boys; I'll meet you at the car." He said disappearing outside.

Michael nodded and then pulled the trigger of his gun watching as bits and pieces of the guy's brain flew everywhere. Michael then dropped his hold on the guy's body and let it crumble to the ground. Troy turned to his guy and the guy's eyes were wide.

"Please don't shoot me. I've got a kid at home, please." The guy begged. Troy's heart wrenched at the guy's confession. Angie's faced popped into his mind, Troy shook the thought out of his mind, he wasn't himself anymore; he was Tomas Martinez, a guy with no morals. Troy pulled the trigger knowing that he had no other choice. The guy's brains splattered against the wall. Troy dropped his hold and watched the guy sink to the floor. He followed Michael out the door and to the awaiting car. Troy climbed inside at the same time as Michael.

"I don't want blood on the seats so take off your shirts." Matteo said as he pulled out of the parking lot. Troy took his shirt off along with everyone else and bunched it up in his lap.

"Interesting tattoo you got there Tomas, what's the meaning behind it?" Michael asked. Troy's head snapped to look at Michael, he had completely forgotten about the tattoo. Troy had gotten an angel tattooed on his right shoulder blade with Angie's birthday underneath it.

Troy sighed, "Someone I was really close to was murdered a few years back. So I got this tattoo in remembrance." Troy said as convincingly as he could.

"What happened?" Raul asked.

"I'd like to keep my past in the past." Troy said sternly hoping to avoid the subject all together. Michael nodded his head in understanding while Raul seemed to scoff and turn around. Matteo soon pulled up to the estate. Troy looked at the clock it was almost 6:00. As the car came to a stop Troy got out making sure he grabbed his t-shirt. As Michael, Matteo, and Raul made their way inside they threw their shirts in the garbage. Troy threw his in along with the others knowing that the shirt was ruined so there was no use for it. Troy went up the stairs and took a quick shower to get ready for dinner, knowing that showing up late on his first night wouldn't make a good impression. He threw on a pair of jeans and a black muscle shirt and made his way to dinner. As Troy walked into the dining room he saw everyone at their respective seats. Troy saw two empty seats beside one another and decided to sit in the left one. Troy looked at the end of the table to see Gregorio and Raul talking as Raul passed the envelope of 

money across the table to him. A slammed door echoed through the house causing Troy to turn and look at the source.

"I know I'm late I'm sorry!" A girl's voice rang out as her back was turned as she hung up her coat. She hurried over to the table with her raven hair flying behind her.

"Well if you weren't off at college you wouldn't have been late." Michael said under his breath.

"Well sorry if I want to have an education and not be a dumbass like you." Gabriella spat back obviously hearing him as she took a seat next to Troy.

"At least I'm here for my family!" Michael barked.

"Fuck you Michael, I am here for the family. Just like I was there to cover your ass all those times you fucked up." Gabriella yelled getting riled up.

"Quit being a selfish bitch. I've been there for you ever since mom died." Michael yelled.

Gabriella stood up and went to go across the table but Troy shot up out of his seat and grabbed her before she was able to.

"You leave her out of this you know she wanted me to get an education. Fuck you Michael." She screamed as she tried to get out of Troy's grasp.

"Tomas take her out to calm down." Gregorio said as if this was a daily occurrence.

Troy nodded as he tried to get her out of the room, when she wouldn't move he bent down and threw her over his shoulder.

"What the fuck? Let me down." She screamed beating on Troy's back. Troy finally set her down as he took her out to the backyard patio. When Troy set her down her hair fell over her shoulders in waves and her brown eyes shined bright in anger. Troy soon realized that the reason the last guy fucked up the case was standing right in front of him.

* * *

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! Ok so we decided in honor of the lovely zan candids we got today that we would add to the greatness of today by posting ch 3. This won't be happening very often but i hope you all enjoy and since we gave you this chapter as a present...maybe you could give us some reviews in return. i hope you all enjoy!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disguised Affection**

"What?" Gabriella asked shortly

Troy realized he was staring blankly at the girl in front of him "Nothing."

"Who the hell are you?" Gabriella asked. "And who the hell do you think you are to just carry me outside like that?" Her dark brown eyes shone with anger as she stared into his dark brown ones.

"I'm Tomas and I was following your father's orders."

"So you're the new guy, huh? You look too weak. You sure you can handle this?" Gabriella instigated as she looked him up and down.

"Look," Troy began as his eyes turned darker. "I don't know who you think you are to call me weak. I've been through a hell of a lot more than you know, and I sure as hell am not weak." Troy finished as he stood in between her and the back sliding door.

"We'll see," Gabriella said coldly as she harshly pushed Troy aside and walked back into the house.

Troy followed her inside and roughly pulled out his chair as he sat down next to Gabriella.

"You two get acquainted?" Gregorio asked as he observed the two angrily eat their dinner.

Gabriella rolled her eyes as Troy nodded.

"Good," Gregorio said as he turned his attention to the other side of the table. "So everything went smoothly tonight?" He asked looking at Raul and Michael who both nodded in affirmation.

"Yes Papa, we had to go in a little earlier than expected, but everything ran smoothly. Tomas here was a big help in taking care of Gonzales' men," Michael said as he looked towards Troy.

"Well that's good to hear. Tomorrow, I want you and Raul to take Tomas down to the Laundromat on Fifth. Introduce him to Juan and get him more acquainted with things."

As Gregorio spoke with his son, Troy recalled reading about the Laundromat in the files. The Montez family owned two Laundromats and they had a few other small businesses that served as front companies.

For the rest of dinner, the family conversed just like any normal family would, which surprised Troy. Everyone at the table knew of the illegal business going down, yet they all acted like it was nothing, jumping from the discussion of killing three men earlier that evening to their conversations of weather and the recent Knicks game.

--

After being unable to sleep that night, Troy trudged down into the kitchen in search of something to drink. Pulling out some milk, he walked over to the cupboard to grab a glass.

As he poured a glass, he heard a sound behind him. Whirling around as a light switched on, Troy jumped slightly as did the Latina girl standing in the doorway.

"What are you doing up?" Gabriella asked as she walked towards him.

"Couldn't sleep. So I came down to get a drink. I could ask you the same question," Troy said as he smirked.

"I was doing some homework, and decided to take a break."

"Want some?" Troy asked as Gabriella let her eyes look up and down his body, noticing Troy's black Nike sweatpants and white tank top.

Nodding her head, Gabriella took a step closer. Troy handed her a glass of milk. Gabriella grinned and walked over to the fridge, coming back with a bottle of chocolate syrup.

Troy raised his eyebrows watching as she poured a ridiculous amount into her cup.

"What's with you and the staring?" She asked as she pulled out a spoon and stirred in the syrup.

"That's a lot of chocolate," Troy remarked.

"Best way to have it. You don't like chocolate?"

"Not that much."

"You don't know what you're missing. Here," Gabriella took his glass and began pouring in the syrup.

"Okay, okay. That's good," Troy laughed as he retrieved his glass of now chocolate milk.

Gabriella smiled slightly as she watched him take a gulp of milk.

"See? It's better right?"

"A little bit," Troy admitted. "So, why were you late tonight?"

"Class. I had class until 5:30, and then I had to rush home. Sorry you had to witness that tonight by the way. My brother can be a jerk sometimes," Gabriella commented as she leaned against the kitchen counter opposite of Troy.

"Brothers are that way," Troy stated becoming more comfortable in the conversation, enjoying the fact that this time they weren't at each other's throats.

"You have siblings?"

Troy stopped, trying to recall his cover story.

"One older brother, Carlos."

"Where's he at?"

"Uh, he died a few years ago. The two of us were out one night on a job. Carlos had just gotten the money from a guy, and I was in the car waiting for him. We thought the guy was alone, but he wasn't. Another guy came out of nowhere and shot him in the back as he was getting in the car," Troy looked up at Gabriella as he finished his story.

Gabriella was shocked to say the least. To her, he didn't look like the type of guy who had been through that much. He seemed inexperienced to her when it came to the business they were in.

"Sorry."

"It happens in this business."

"Yeah, but, I'm sorry for earlier too….what I said. It was completely out of line." Gabriella looked down at her feet as she shifted uncomfortably.

"It's fine," Troy assured her as he took his last sip of milk and set the glass in the sink. "Well, it's getting late. I'd better get some sleep. It's gonna by a busy day tomorrow."

"Night, oh and Tomas." Gabriella said getting Troy's attention, "I hope you don't take anything this family does or says too personal, especially me. It's just being in this business you can never be too careful, ya know?"

Troy nodded his head, "Goodnight."

Troy trudged back up to his room. As he flopped down on his bed, he closed his eyes. His thoughts occupied with the brown-eyed brunette down the hall. He thought about what she said in the kitchen, about never being too careful. Troy felt the same way because he knew that if he lost focus for two seconds, it could cost him the job and his life.

--

Troy focused on street signs and the surrounding areas as he rode with Michael and Raul towards the Laundromat where they would meet up with Juan. As they drove along, Troy made mental notes of where things were, and began to recall some of the background information he knew about the Montez front companies.

Troy shifted his attention to the man in the front seat as Raul cleared his throat.

"We're here," Raul informed him as the three men got out of the car. Troy took notice of the surprisingly relatively empty streets, even though it was close to 10:00 AM. As they walked through the door, they were greeted by a teenage Latina girl who was busy flipping through the latest gossip magazine. Troy followed Raul and Michael's lead, ignoring the young girl, and walking straight to the back. Michael knocked on a door in the far back corner three times. The three were quickly ushered in as the door swung open and then closed quickly behind them.

Michael walked forward prompting Raul and Troy to follow. Troy gazed around the room in slight shock of what he saw. He couldn't quite believe all this was going on in such a small room. There were three rows of tables that lined up going the length of the room. Six men were packing drugs into small balloons, two men at each row of tables—some packing heroine, others cocaine, and others methamphetamine. Towards the back corner of the room, there was a desk filled with money that was being sorted and placed into bags by a few other men. In the opposite corner, Troy noticed a group of around twenty people ranging from young kids to adults, both male and female. Two men were handing out papers and bags to these people who were getting orders as pack mules to smuggle the drugs. In the center of the room, stood a man with his back facing them.

"Juan," Michael called prompting the man to turn around.

As he turned, Troy recognized the man as the one who ushered him into the Montez house when he first arrived the day before. Troy followed as the Raul and Michael walked up to Juan.

After Michael and Raul greeted Juan with an embrace, Michael stepped back looking over at Troy.

"Juan, this is Tomas. Tomas, Juan."

Juan extended his hand, and Troy shook it firmly returning the gesture.

"Gregorio tells me you have some experience in drug smuggling and dealing with clients."

Troy nodded in affirmation.

"Good," Juan continued. "We will be using you to help with distribution on the other side of town where we have another location. Raul will take you over there."

Juan shook Troy's hand once more, and then embraced Raul once more. As the two men pulled away, Juan whispered something to Raul as he nodded.

"Let's go Tomas," Raul ordered as he brushed past Troy and led him out to the car.

Troy and Raul rode in an uncomfortable silence, Troy sensed that Raul had already begun to detest him.

The silence was broken as Raul's phone rang.

"Gomez," he answered as he flipped open his phone.

Troy looked over as Raul carried on a relatively quiet conversation on his end aside from a few 'yes' and 'no's'. Flipping the phone closed, Raul whipped the car around changing directions.

Troy looked over questioningly.

"Change of plans. We have to take care of something."

* * *

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! We decided that we were going to update ever saturday instead of sunday because of conflicting problems. We both are loving the direction the story is going and we can't wait to share the rest of it with you. i hope you enjoy this chapter so please REVIEW!


	5. Chapter 5

**Disguised Affection**

"What's going on?" Troy asked as held onto the bar above the window as Raul pulled a sharp u-turn and sped in the opposite direction, going at least 20 mph over the speed limit.

"Just shut up for a second," Raul snapped as he dialed a number into his phone and put it up to his ear, "Joe? It's Gabriella. She did the run and got ambushed. Meet us there." Raul said before slamming the phone shut. He pointed his hand toward the back of the car, "Climb in the back seat and there is a compartment under the seat. Grab the bag out of it." Raul said never taking his eyes off the road.

Troy climbed to the back seat carefully as Raul was weaving in and out of traffic. Troy situated himself between the seats so he could lift of the back seat and pull out the bag. As Troy grabbed the strap of the bag and started pulling it toward him he felt the bag give a weight resistance. Troy used both hands to yank it out of the compartment and set it on his lap as he closed the compartment and sat back on the seat.

"Grab two guns and then come back up front." Raul said taking a sharp left turn that threw Troy up against the side of the car.

"Shit that hurt." Troy mumbled to himself as he rubbed his right shoulder. Troy opened the bag, grabbed the two smaller guns on the top and grabbed four clips from the side zipper. Troy set the bag on the floor and crawled back up to the front and started loading the guns.

"I fucking told Michael not to send her." Raul muttered darkly to himself.

"Raul, I'm sure she can handle herself until we get there." Troy said trying to calm Raul down.

"Just shut the fuck up. You don't even know anything about this family. I don't even get why the fuck you're here." Raul snapped as he pulled into an alley and slammed the car to a stop and jumped out quickly. Troy got out and tossed Raul a gun as they ran down the alley way to see Gabriella standing her ground as a bunch of guys were trying to grab the bag with the drugs in it.

"No you pay for it first"

"Just give us the stuff sweetheart and everything will be fine," one of the guys said as he reached again for the bag.

"Just stand back," Raul ordered authoritatively at Troy, "I'm gonna get Gabriella out. You just follow my lead and don't even think about screwing this up."

Troy rolled his eyes slightly before following Raul down the alley.

"HEY!" Raul said grabbing the attention of the five guys standing around Gabriella. Troy looked at Gabriella and saw that she was somewhat relieved but in another way greatly annoyed. Troy just stayed back while he watched the scene unfold. Four of the guys made their way over to Troy and Raul as one stayed by Gabriella.

"I said back the hell off!" Raul yelled advancing on the guy that was going towards Gabriella.

"Or what? You're not going to do shit because if you do, I'll hurt her, and I can tell by the look on your face that you don't want that." The guy said getting even closer to Gabriella.

"Look, I don't know if you know who you are dealing with. But, I suggest you back off before you regret it." Raul said darkly.

"Just give me the stuff and I will let all three of you walk away." The guy said to Gabriella, but she stood her ground and refused to give in.

"Bite me!" She said spitefully.

The guy started to pull his arm back reaching for something in his pocket and before Raul could even register what was about to happen Troy ran to tackle the guy to the ground and started throwing punches. Both of them started rolling around on the pavement, each trying to get the upper hand. Troy was on top and continued to throw punches at the guy's face until he was barely conscious. Troy got up but bent down close to his face, "Don't even think about messing with her or any of us again, got it? Do this right next time and there won't be any problems. And don't even think about skipping town on us, 'cause if you do I will green light you. And rest assured that I know people no matter where you go. Understand?" Troy asked menacingly. The guy slowly nodded his head, "Good." Troy said before swiftly kicking him in the side managing to break one of his ribs.

Troy turned to see Gabriella, "You ok?" Troy asked softly.

"Yeah." Gabriella said in a forced voice. Troy raised his eyebrows and was about to say something before he was interrupted by the sound of gunshots. Troy grabbed Gabriella and pulled her to the ground, covering her with his body. The gunshots kept going, there must have been at least 15 to 20 shots fired before it stopped.

Troy got up off of Gabriella but before he could even ask she answered, "I'm fine." Troy nodded and turned around to see who was the shooter. He saw Raul with his gun raised and all of the guys in hiding places or crouched positions. _He didn't hit a single person? Is this some kind of joke? _Troy thought to himself. One of the guys had his gun raised and was ready to shoot, but before he could pull the trigger Troy had pulled his gun out and shot him in the arm.

"Anyone else wanna try to shoot at us?" Troy asked.

Troy heard footsteps running up behind them. Troy turned around and pointed the gun at whoever it was to only see Michael, Matteo, and Joe running towards them.

"Tomas!" Gabriella yelled.

Troy turned to see one of the guys with his gun raised. Troy shot him in the wrist causing both the man and gun to fall to the floor. The guy cradled his wrist to his body as he withered in pain.

"Anyone else?" Troy gritted through his teeth. He couldn't believe how incompetent these people were.

Three of the guys shook their heads as the other two held onto their arms in pain. "That's what I thought. Now, let's do this right. Give us the money."

One of the men stood up from his crouching position behind a dumpster. Obviously frightened by the dangerous look on Troy's face, the man quickly handed Troy a wad of money. Troy reached his hand out behind him to Gabriella, who placed the bag of drugs in his hand. Troy took the bag and shoved it forcefully into the guy's chest.

"Now get the hell out of here." He said darkly. All the guys except the one that was knocked out on the ground ran off.

"Let's go." Joe said to the group. Everyone followed him back to their respective cars.

"Gabriella, you go with Raul." Michael instructed causing Gabriella to roll her eyes as she slid into the back seat of Raul's car.

"I don't know why your brothers couldn't have taken you." Raul snapped as he started the drive back to the estate.

"I don't know why you had to _try_ and be the fucking knight in shining amour." Gabriella spat, putting emphasis on the word try. "You always have to be the one being the big hero."

"And you always have to be the one getting into trouble," Raul countered as he pulled out onto the road and headed back to the estate.

"I never asked for you to come running in like that. I had it under control. You just pissed them off more." Gabriella yelled.

"Why aren't you yelling at Tomas? He's the one who jumped in and tackled the guy?" Raul spat back.

"He waited till I at least needed it, unlike you." Gabriella retorted.

"Well I told him to, that's why!" Raul argued.

"Well maybe you should take your own fucking advice sometime." Gabriella cried out.

"Look the bastards paid up and everyone is fine. Both of you need to chill out." Troy intervened, causing Raul to look sideways at him anger seething behind his eyes.

Troy tore his gaze away from Raul, turning around in his seat to look at Gabriella. Gabriella turned to Troy feeling his eyes on her, "You're doing that staring thing again." Gabriella whispered harshly. Troy immediately tore his eyes away from her and looked out the window.

Raul pulled up to the estate and parked the car beside Joe's car. Gabriella, Troy and Raul got out and made their way over to Matteo, Michael, and Joe. As they reached the group Joe turned around to face them.

"Ok so someone care to explain what the hell just happened?" Joe asked sternly.

"Well we got the call from an informant that said that Gabriella was about to get ambushed at the trade off site. So we headed over there as fast as we could. When we pulled up Tomas threw me the gun and we ran to Gabriella. Everything was under control until Tomas decide to tackle the guy." Raul said sending Troy a glare.

Gabriella looked at Troy to see what he would say. Troy rolled his eyes, "Well the reason I tackled the guy was because he was about to shoot your sister." He said to Joe, "And the only reason the situation got worse was because Raul opened up two rounds and didn't manage to hit a single person." Troy said lightly.

Matteo, Michael and Joe all started laughing. Raul started getting red in the face, "It's not like you could've done any better."

"Raul, shut up. Tomas is the one who hit two of their guys, with two shots. You'd think at least one of your shots could've at least clipped someone," Gabriella added, Troy grinned, which didn't go unnoticed by Raul.

"It's easy to hit someone when they aren't moving. Maybe next time we're out, Tomas will actually face something a little more challenging. Although I doubt he'd have any success anyways. My guess is he couldn't come within a foot of a moving target," Raul spat angrily as he began to walk off.

Troy pulled out his gun and shot inches away from Raul's feet causing him to jump and turn around. "Wanna make a bet on that Raul?"

* * *

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! Another Saturday another chapter. i hope you all enjoyed reading this one as much as we enoyed writing it. leave a review! thnx


	6. Chapter 6

**Disguised Affection**

Raul turned and glared at Troy as Troy smirked innocently, causing the guys and Gabriella to laugh.

"Wanna try that again Martinez?" Raul threatened walking up to Troy.

"Raul, calm down," Joe ordered stepping in between Troy and Raul, pushing Raul back gently. "Pretty impressive today, Tomas," Joe complimented as he turned to Troy and patted him on the back.

"Let's get inside, Papa is going to want to hear about all of this," Michael suggested before walking inside.

One inside, Michael and Matteo walked towards the kitchen while Joe led the others back to Gregorio's office. Joe knocked lightly on the door and waited patiently, entering after hearing a faint 'come in'.

"How did it go?" Gregorio questioned sitting behind his desk as the four walked into his office.

"We ran into a little trouble, but everything is taken care of now," Joe informed him as the four stood in front of the desk.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Gabriella couldn't handle it again," Raul spoke up as if it was nothing.

Gabriella's face flushed with anger as she turned to face Raul who was standing on the opposite side of Joe.

"Shut it Raul. It got out of hand because of your stupidity."

"No, it got out of hand because you and Martinez can't stay under control and do as you're told."

"Do as I'm told I-"

"Raul, Gabriella—quiet. Both of you. Raul, go wait outside. I am going to have a talk with Tomas and Gabriella."

Raul brushed roughly past Troy and slammed the door behind him.

"Take a seat," Gregorio told the two while motioning to the seats in front of his desk. "So what happened out there?"

Gabriella looked at Troy, nodding her head, telling him to start explaining.

"We were on our way to the shop on Sunset, when Raul got a call. I'm assuming it was an informant. Raul quickly turned around and headed towards where Gabriella was. When we got there, we saw her up against five guys who were trying to get the drugs from her."

"Did they have the money?" Gregorio interrupted looking at his daughter.

"They had it. They just thought they could take advantage of me and get it for free."

Gregorio nodded and looked back to Troy for him to continue.

"When we got there, Raul and I ran over, then he told me to stand back. I was following his orders until I saw one of the guys in front of Gabriella reach for a gun. I tackled the guy to the ground, and let him know that if he screwed things up next time, I'd green light him. Then all of the sudden shots were fired and I pulled Gabriella to the ground to protect her. We turned around to see four pissed off guys and Raul standing there having missed everyone. A few of the guys tried to shoot at us, and I shot back hitting them. Then Michael, Joe, and Matteo showed up and we made the exchange."

Troy looked at Gregorio trying to read what he was thinking. He had a somber look on his face as he leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed across his chest.

"Tomas?"

"Yes sir?"

"Very impressive."

"Thank you sir."

"You definitely proved yourself today, and your worth to this family, Tomas. In fact, I have an extremely important run for you two. Before Saturday morning I need you to go by the Laundromat on fifth and pick up the half a kilo of cocaine that Juan will have there for you. Then swing by the shop on Sunset and pick up the five shipments of ecstasy pills which will be waiting for you. Then, I need you to drop it off at this location," Gregorio took a small post-it from his desk, handing it to Troy. "This is by far one of the biggest drop offs we have had since we've been infiltrated, and I need you two to make sure it goes smoothly."

Half a kilo of cocaine and five shipments of ecstasy pills…that's 2500 ecstasy pills, Troy calculated quickly, in awe of how big this drop was gonna be.

"You both think you can handle this?"

"Yes sir."

"Yes Papa."

"Excellent. You have a few days to prepare everything. Make sure that nothing like today's occurrence happens on Saturday. You two will be carrying a lot, and an ambush is always a possibility, so be aware of that. Matteo, Michael, Raul, and Joe will be on other assignments that day, so you will be on your own."

"We won't let you down Papa," Gabriella promised as the two stood up and exited the office.

Troy smirked at Raul as he walked past him. Troy walked upstairs to change into a pair of black Nike shorts, a white muscle shirt, and some running shoes. He quickly sent a text message, before darting out of his room.

"Hey Tomas!" Michael yelled as Troy started to walk out the front door.

"Yeah?" Troy sighed softly as he turned around.

"Where are you off to?"

"Just going for a quick run."

"Okay, well be back in an hour. Dinner's at 6:00."

"I will."

Troy wiped the sweat off his brow as he ran through the park about a mile away from the Montez home. He sat down at a bench, leaning back with his hands behind his head as he caught his breath.

"Nice day isn't it?" Troy turned to face the bench that was back to back with his upon hearing the male voice. As he turned, he came face to face with a large head of hair. Recognizing exactly who it was, he turned back around.

"Yeah, it is." Troy said over his shoulder. He watched in his peripheral vision as the man pulled a pen out of his pocket, twisting the cap until it made a beep sound.

"Okay, we have five minutes," the man stated referring to the radio interference device that was activated so that no one could listen in on their conversation. "What do you have?" He asked as he turned the paper of his newspaper so that it looked as if he was reading.

"I met all of the family and have become more familiar with how they operate. I went on two operations thus far. The first, we had to get some money out of a guy named Gonzales. Gonzales and his men are all dead, and the Montez family came away with the money. Then today I went to their Laundromat on fifth. That's where they have the cocaine, heroine, and meth. They had pack mules there and a few people packing the drugs into balloons. Gregorio's right hand man, Juan, was overseeing the operation there." Troy said never moving a muscle from his position.

"Did you make it to the place on Sunset?"

"No, we were supposed to, but Gabriella, Gregorio's daughter, ran into some trouble while making a drop. We had to go get her out and help make the exchange. There were some gunshots, and three men were injured."

"Three?"

"Yeah, I hit two, and the other was knocked unconscious."

"Knocked unconscious? By you?"

Troy smirked to himself. "Yeah."

The man was overcome with laughter, but quickly caught himself and stopped. "I gotta hand it to you. I bet you beat the crap out of that guy. Speaking of which, Thompson requested a transfer. After your outburst, he decided that he didn't want to have any more confrontations with you."

Troy laughed as he shifted slightly. "Well serves him right. He almost got J killed. How's he doing by the way?" Troy leaned back so he could hear his best friend's voice more clearly.

"Good. He should be home in the next few days."

"And Angel?" Troy's voice softened as he thought of the little girl that had captured his heart from day one.

"She's great. She misses you like crazy though. She's already packed for your beach trip." Troy smiled widely as he heard this. "Yeah, she's been packed since the minute she got home."

"Keep her safe. I can't wait to get back and see her."

"I will," he said as he looked down at his watch. "We've got two minutes. Any upcoming missions?"

"Saturday morning, we're doing one of the biggest drop-offs in awhile for the Montez family. Gabriella and I are dropping off five shipment boxes of ecstasy and a half kilo of cocaine."

"Damn, that's a big drug run." The pen gave off a beep indicating their time was almost up. "We have a minute. Keep us posted on your operation on Saturday. Drop off a quick report in the trash can on the corner of Fourth and Rosemead on Saturday after you get back. We'll meet up again next week. Be safe man."

"I will C and take care of Angel for me."

"As always." Just then the pen gave off a long continuous beep indicating their time was up. Troy stood up and jogged off in preparation for the big deal on Saturday.

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! Another Saturday another chapter. read and review


	7. Chapter 7

**Disguised Affection**

Troy rolled out of bed realizing that today was the day of the big drop. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. After getting dressed Troy made his way down stairs to get breakfast to see that everyone was already down there eating. Gregorio looked up from his lunch.

"Tomas hurry up and eat, you need to leave soon." He said.

"I thought the drop wasn't until later." Troy said taking a seat at the table and filling his plate up with the food that was spread out on the table top.

"It isn't but I want you and Gabriella to leave early so you can survey the area for a couple of hours so hopefully you will be able to tell if there is going to be an ambush or not." Gregorio said in finality that made Troy drop the subject.

As Troy finished up his breakfast he saw that Gabriella was already clearing her plate and was getting ready to leave. Troy decided that he had had enough to eat so he threw the rest of the food away and put the plate in the sink.

"You ready to go?" Gabriella asked from the door way.

Troy nodded, "Yeah just let me grab my stuff from my room. I'll meet you at the car." He said before sprinting up the stairs and grabbing his gun and putting his shoes on. After checking to make sure he had everything he made his way downstairs and to the garage to see Gabriella waiting by the car.

"Let's go." Troy said opening the door and climbing the passenger seat, "Is the drop in the trunk?" He asked as he turned the car on.

"Yeah. We are good to go." Gabriella said buckling her seat belt.

Troy nodded as he pulled out of the driveway and on to the road and headed towards their destination. As Troy drove Gabriella messed with the dial on the radio trying to find a good station to listen to but soon gave up as the only thing coming in was static.

"You would think they would give us a better car to drive in if we are going to have to be in here for hours." Gabriella said crossing her arms and leaning back into the seat in a huff.

"The point is to blend in, not stand out. We're going to a rundown part of town. How would it look if we rolled up in a BMW?" Troy asked with a raised eyebrow.

"True." Gabriella said, "You know my first impression of you was totally wrong." Gabriella said seeming to loosen up a bit for the first time since the kitchen incident.

"What, that I was weak?" Troy asked glancing at her quickly before returning his eyes on the road.

"Well yeah. You've definitely proven that you can hold your own." She said as she fidgeted.

"Are you actually trying to make nice with me?" Troy asked jokingly.

"HEY! I told you not to take anything personal." Gabriella defended, "I just thought it would be good to get to know you before I judge." She finished after a moment of silence.

Troy shifted a bit in his seat, "Like what?" He asked uncomfortably.

"Well for starters your tattoo." She said softly.

Troy's body tensed up, "What about it?" he asked carefully.

"Well my brothers think that it's in remembrance of your brother, but I think their wrong." She said looking at Troy, "I think it's in remembrance of someone else, like a girl."

Troy tried to keep his cool as he felt like at this moment everything he worked for could come tumbling down, "What makes you think that?" Troy asked uneasily.

"Because if it was in remembrance of your brother it would be a cross, because that's a more masculine religious symbol. While an angel is more feminine. Now the question is who the tattoo is for?" She said watching for a reaction from Troy.

Troy's face hardened, he wasn't going to let this ruin his chances of bringing down this family, "Look my past is my past, and I'd like to keep it there." Troy said in a low voice. Gabriella sighed and laid her body back against the seat and folded her arms. Troy could tell that she was about to close herself off to him, and he knew that he couldn't let that happen. He had to keep a bridge between them in case he needed to use her for any information, "I promise that I will tell you another time, I'm just not ready to tell you yet." Troy said after a moment, hoping that she would open back up to him.

Gabriella turned her head to look at him and gave him a quick smile of understanding, "I'll hold you to that." She said softly before turning her attention back on the road ahead.

After about an hour of driving they finally reached their destination and pulled into a parking lot across the street. Troy turned off the car and leaned back and took in a deep breath and closed his eyes for a second only for them to reopen at a gentle clearing of the throat. Troy turned to look at Gabriella.

"Ok so I know this is like really bad timing and everything, but I really have to pee." She said which caused a pink tint to appear on her cheeks.

"Are you serious? You didn't go before we left the estate?" Troy asked incuriously.

"I did, I just have a really small bladder?" She said feeling incredibly embarrassed. Troy sighed as he pulled out the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. Gabriella scrambled out not long after, "What are you doing?" She asked.

"We're walking to the gas station down the road so you can go to the bathroom." Troy said as he locked the doors.

Gabriella caught up with Troy and eventually fell into step beside him.

"You couldn't have parked closer to the station?" Gabriella asked in disbelief as they walked quickly towards the station.

Troy grinned. "Nope. It's more fun to see you suffer."

Gabriella turned to face him, her jaw dropped. "Bite me," she said causing Troy to laugh.

"Oh, Thank God!" Gabriella exclaimed in relief once they reached the gas station. Gabriella took off sprinting towards the restrooms.

Troy smiled and walked inside the food mart.

"That was disgusting!" Troy looked up from the latest issue of Sports Illustrated, amused as Gabriella punctuated each word.

"Maybe next time, you'll make sure you don't have to go while we're out on a run."

"You know, you could be a little more sympathetic here," Gabriella joked as they walked outside.

"I could. But it's more fun this way," Troy smirked.

"Are you always such a jerk?"

"Yes," Troy replied simply earning a laugh from Gabriella.

"For the record, those bathrooms were disgusting. They're up there with the nastiness of the bathrooms in the dorms at school," Gabriella cringed as they got back into the car.

"I thought you've always lived at home."

"I have, but that doesn't mean I don't have any friends who live in the dorms."

"You have friends!? Who would've thought?"

"Bite me."

"Is that the only retort you have?"

"Shut up." Troy laughed as he tapped out a beat in his head onto the steering wheel.

The two kept watch outside, scanning the building across the street for any suspicious activities.

"So what are you going to school for?" Troy asked, turning the conversation to a more serious note.

"I want to be a teacher," she admitted quietly.

"A teacher, huh?" Troy was surprised, since he had assumed she was going to school to learn about business, or something similar.

"Yeah. I've wanted to be a teacher since I was little."

"What age group do you want to teach?"

"Either kindergarten or first grade. I really love little kids," Gabriella gushed as Troy's thoughts immediately turned to the little five year old girl back home causing him to smile.

"That's really cool," Troy finally said turning his attention back to the girl next to him.

"I'm glad someone thinks so," Gabriella muttered with bitterness laced in her voice.

"Your brothers don't want you going to school?"

Gabriella shook her head. "No, they want me to focus on the family business. They feel like I'm betraying the family by going to school and wanting to become a teacher," Gabriella admitted as Troy nodded in understanding, remembering Michael's outburst earlier in the week. "I don't know. Sometimes I think I should just give up on school."

"Why?"

Gabriella sighed. "It's complicated. I don't really feel like talking about it."

"Fair enough."

Troy looked at the clock and realized that it was finally time to go do the drop since they hadn't noticed any unusual or suspicious activity.

"Let's go." Troy said getting out of the car and walking back to the trunk and grabbing the bag and slinging it over his shoulder. Gabriella appeared beside him seconds later as they walked across the street and towards the back of the building. As they reached the door Troy made sure he had his gun and he turned to look at Gabriella silently asking if she had hers and she nodded. Troy knocked on the steel door loudly. The slate at the top opened, "I'm here for the drop off." Troy said in a business like tone. The steel slate slammed shut before the door opened to reveal a guy twice the size of Troy standing there. Troy walked in and stepped to the side making sure that Gabriella wasn't far behind him. As the door shut the large guy motioned them to follow him through the throng of people that littered the room. They didn't walk far until they reached another door and came to a stop in front of it.

"The drop off is here." The guy said through the door not bothering to knock. The door opened minutes later to reveal a well dressed guy. He motioned them inside and Troy followed. Troy walked up to the table that was near the center of the room while Gabriella hung back by the door. There were three other people in the room besides Troy and Gabriella, and Troy made sure that he kept an eye on them all.

"Fernando." The well dressed guy said holding out his hand. Troy looked at it skeptically before taking it and shaking it, "Tomas." He said flatly.

Fernando nodded his head and motioned Troy to put the bag on the table. Troy lifted the bag and gently set it down. He unzipped it and allowed Fernando to get a good look, "There's half a kilo of coke and twenty-five hundred ecstasy pills. Did we miss anything?" Troy asked.

"No it all seems to be there." Fernando said.

"Get away from me." Gabriella voice broke through the air. Troy turned around to see one of the guys trying to touch her.

"Feisty little one aren't you, I bet you're good in bed." He said trying to run his fingers through her hair. Troy pulled out his gun and pointed it towards the guy.

"Back away from her." Troy said darkly.

"How much for her?" He asked.

"She's not for sale." Troy snarled.

"You say that now, but wait until you see how much I'm willing to give for a quick fuck with her." He said licking his lips.

"Don't you fucking touch me you faggot." Gabriella yelled bringing her hand back preparing to slap the guy.

"GABRIELLA!" Troy yelled sternly catching her attention, "Go wait in the car."

"No!" Gabriella said crossing her arms.

Troy's patience was running thin, she could easily ruin this for him if she didn't quit being so stubborn. "Gabriella go wait in the goddamn car!" Troy yelled cause Gabriella to recoil from his harshness. Gabriella spun around and slammed the door on her way out. Troy turned to Fernando, "Now pay up so I can leave." Troy said angrily.

Fernando snapped his fingers and one of the guys brought a briefcase out on the table and opened it up. "It's all there." Fernando said as he went to grab the bag off the table but Troy snatched it up before he could grab it.

"Where's the rest?" Troy asked.

"What are you talking about?" Fernando asked slyly.

"There's about 4 G's missing, where is it?" Troy asked motioning to the briefcase.

Fernando snapped again and one of the guys produced three more piles of twenties, "Would you like to count it this time?" Fernando asked angrily.

"Nope, cause if it's not there I know where to find you." Troy said throwing the bag on the table and grabbing the briefcase before walking out the door and to the car. When Troy saw Gabriella sitting against the trunk his anger returned. He walked up hastily and opened the trunk ignoring her.

"Tomas I-"

Troy snapped his head in her direction, "Do you have any idea what trouble you could have caused in there? To them I am supposed to be above you and when you talk back like that it gives them the idea that I could easily be walked over. They tried to short us the money because of what you pulled, we're lucky another repeat of the other day didn't happen. And the guy –"

"I can take care of myself Tomas I could have taken him!" Gabriella protested in her stubbornness.

"I don't doubt that Gabriella but you can't talk to people like that, not in those type situations. These guys aren't your brothers. They have no problem pulling that trigger! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Troy yelled as he kept eye contact with her.

Gabriella tore her eyes away from Troy's and fixated themselves on the ground and she shifted uncomfortably. That's when it all clicked in Troy's mind, she was trying to get herself killed.

* * *

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! I know we are a day late but Corri was out of town and had the chapter with her. I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as we enjoyed writing it. make sure to leave a review!

Erin A/N: Hey guys. there has been a lot of questions about me leaving FF. First off I WILL be finished My Guys and Disguised Affection, i will not leave you hanging. I will try to get TWC in Troy's POV out but no promises. The reason i am leaving is mainly personal and also the fact that i don't have the time anymore. I enjoyed all of your reviews immensly. Until next time!


	8. Important AN

**As mos****t of you know i hate doing AN's as chapters but this is important seeing as some people have having issues reading. YES i will be leaving Fanfiction at some point but it won't be till AFTER i finish My Guys and Disguised Affection, also TWC in Troy's POV i am working on...if i happen to get it out in time then fine but im not promising anything.**

**Now some of you have asked WHY im leaving here is why:**

**1. Moving into the dorms in the fall and i won't have as much time.  
2. My bf is getting deployed so i'm spending as much time with him  
3. I'm writing a book and i want to focus more on the book**

**So i hope this answered all the questions because YES i am finished MG and DA before i leave, i repeat I AM FINISHING THEM! lol**

**Now even though i haven't left yet i want to thank everyone for their reviews, i've gotten a bunch of PMs and Emails saying that i ecouraged them to start writing, don't stop because of me. If its something you love keep going, i'm glad i could encourage you. I will miss everyone so much, but i would like to ask people not to pester me about leaving or begging me to stay, i have my reasons. If you would like to still talk you can IM me, but please try to not be annoying (lol) as i do have homework to do. I love you guys, you've been great fans and i couldn't ask for anything better.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disguised Affection**

Troy's eyes widened at the revelation from Gabriella. Realizing that they probably shouldn't have this conversation outside where anyone could hear, Troy broke eye contact and turned to walk towards the driver's seat.

"Get in," Troy told her as he opened his door.

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Troy decided he couldn't wait any longer to bring up the subject.

"So you're trying to provoke them? Trying to get yourself shot?"

Gabriella remained silent nervously playing with her fingers as Troy turned every few seconds to look at her.

"Well?"

"Tomas, just leave it!"

"Leave it? How am I supposed to do that knowing every time I am out on a drop with you, you are trying to get yourself shot?"

"Tomas, I said to leave it. I don't want to talk about it," Gabriella yelled as her face turned red in anger.

"Well we're gonna talk about it. Look you may not care whether or not you get shot, but when you say crap like that to those guys, they won't think twice before shooting you or anyone else with you. You're not just putting your own life on the line when you pull crap like that, you're putting other people's lives on the line too. We're a family here, and you need to remember that."

Gabriella looked slightly shocked at Troy's outburst. "You're right. We are a family, and I'm sorry for putting you at risk like that. But can we please just drop it?"

"Fine," Troy huffed as he continued to drive back to the estate, thousands of thoughts whirling through his head. Thoughts of anger, confusion, frustration, and a strange sense of fear not only for his own life, but also the life of the livid girl sitting next to him.

Troy got out of the car once they reached the estate. Grabbing the case of money out of the backseat, Troy shut the car door and walked inside, followed by a sulking Gabriella.

The two walked back to Gregorio's office without saying a word. Upon being told to enter, Troy pushed open the door, closing it gently after Gabriella walked through.

"Tomas, Gabriella. How did it go?" Gregorio asked looking up from some paperwork on his desk.

"Good. Here is the money." Troy took the briefcase and handed it over the desk to Gregorio. Gregorio opened the case, and peered inside.

"Any complications?" Gregorio questioned as his head remained hidden behind the briefcase.

Gabriella looked at Troy pleadingly. She didn't want her father to know what Troy had discovered.

"No sir. There were no ambush attempts, and all of the money is there."

Gregorio shut the case, satisfied with its contents.

"Well done you two."

"Thank you," they both said quietly before exiting the office.

--

Troy sat in the park with a small sketch pad. Instead of sketching the beautiful scenery around him, Troy was frantically writing a report of what had happened that day. He jotted down some basic information about the place where the exchange happened, and what he found out about Fernando and his men. Lastly Troy scribbled down that there was a development with Gabriella and he needed to schedule an emergency meeting for the next day.

Troy stood up from his place on the bench and stretched before ripping out the piece of paper he'd been writing on. He crumbled it up and walked away from the benches, leisurely tossing it into the trash can adjacent to the bench he was on before he continued back to the estate.

After showering and changing into a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt, Troy walked downstairs to the kitchen.

He couldn't help but grin at the sight in front of him as he entered the kitchen. There was steam coming from two different pots on the stove, both threatening to boil over. The oven was beeping, indicating the food was ready. Troy laughed as his eye caught Gabriella in the corner of the kitchen, frantically chopping some vegetables while kicking the refrigerator door shut.

"You do know you have hired help for a reason," Troy said making his presence known as Gabriella jumped becoming slightly startled, which caused her to knock a knife and a bowl of lettuce onto the ground.

"Crap. You scared me," Gabriella held her hand over her heart in attempts to regulate her breathing, before reaching down and gathering the dropped items.

"Who knew? A mighty Montez mafia member easily scares," Troy taunted as he walked over to the oven, turning it off and grabbing its contents.

Gabriella laughed sarcastically. "Very funny."

Troy grinned as he walked over and turned down the items on the stove.

"I take it you don't cook too often," Troy laughed as he scraped some burnt rice from the bottom of a pan.

"Well Alma couldn't make it tonight, so she asked me to fill in. She said it'd be simple, and she even pre-made the main course. So all I had to do was make the salad and some rice and veggies. But, I suck at multitasking. As you can see," Gabriella laughed at herself as Troy joined in.

"Well here. I managed to save some of the rice, and the rest of this looks okay," Troy noted glancing in the other pots on the stove.

"Yeah, but thanks to you, half of the salad is on the floor," Gabriella pointed out matter-of-factly.

"Eh, who needs salad anyway?" Troy asked rhetorically earning a grin from Gabriella. Troy walked over to the cupboard pulling out some cups and plates, before placing them on the kitchen table.

"Tomas?"

Troy turned around looking at Gabriella.

"Thanks for not saying anything to my dad today."

Troy nodded, understanding she didn't want to talk about it. "No problem." He knew at this point she was closed off to sharing more about why she kept purposely putting herself in precarious situations.

"Hey idiots!" Gabriella stuck her head into the living room yelling at Michael, Joe, Matteo, and Raul. "Dinner's ready. Get in here."

Troy laughed as he took his seat.

"Did I hear my oh so sweet sister call me for dinner?" Joe asked sarcastically as he pulled out his chair.

Gabriella smirked as she poured some soda into her glass.

"Yeah, we're missing the Jets' game right now, so this dinner better be worth it," Matteo chimed in as he scooped some food onto his plate.

"Matteo, when are Gabriella's meals ever good?" Michael laughed as he dodged a slap from Gabriella.

"Screw you Michael. You don't like it….then you can cook yourself."

"Why are you guys eating? Papa isn't here yet," Gabriella pointed out.

"His loss," Raul shrugged as he took a bite of rice choking before spitting it out in his napkin. "What the hell is in the rice?"

Troy laughed as Gabriella shot him a look which successfully shut him up.

"You guys don't wait for us anymore?" Gregorio asked as he and Juan sat down at the table.

"Sorry Papa," the boys chorused.

As the family began to converse about everyday life, Troy was paying little attention to what they were saying. He couldn't stop thinking about his meeting with Chad the next day, and what he'd say about Gabriella.

--

Troy grabbed his coat out of the front closet before opening the front door.

"Skipping out on the family dinner?" Raul questioned causing Troy to stop abruptly.

"I have to take care of something important back home."

"What's so important at home?" Raul taunted trying to get under his skin.

"That's none of your business."

"I thought since you are a part of this family, that we wouldn't have any secrets."

"Look," Troy raised his voice as his piercing blue eyes became darker. "I don't like to talk about my past with anyone. I like to keep my past in my past. So back off," Troy yelled before slamming the door, the conversation not going unnoticed by Gabriella who was listening from around the corner.

--

"Can I help you sir?" The young host asked after Troy entered the small Italian restaurant an hour outside of the city.

Troy took a deep breath preparing himself for the inevitable embarrassment. "Reservation under Ben Dover."

The brown-haired host stifled a laugh as Troy rolled his eyes. "Right this way sir."

"Thank you." Troy spotted Chad as they entered one wing of the restaurant. "I see him. Thank you," Troy said as he walked up to the table.

Chad looked up and smirked as he saw Troy approaching. "Nice to see you Mr. Dover."

"Real mature man."

"What? We still have to be extra careful." Chad said innocently.

Troy shook his head in disbelief, before taking a sip of water. The waiter came over and quickly took their orders momentarily interrupting their conversation.

"So thanks for meeting up with me tonight. Sorry about the short notice," Troy said once they were left alone.

"It's cool man. We got your report. We're looking into Fernando Alonzo's operation, and plan on doing a raid in the next few weeks. He's got a base of operations just outside of New York City. So what is the development with the girl?"

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! I'm not even gonna lie...I forgot to post things have gotten CRAZY, so im just trying to go one day at a time. hope you all enjoy...my fav chapter is coming up soon sooo keep reading!


	10. Chapter 10

Troy walked into the house and closed the door behind him. He walked up the stairs and made his way to his room. Just as Troy was nearing the door Raul stuck his head out of his room.

"I hope that was worth skipping out on the family dinner," he snarled as he took a step out into the hallway block Troy's path.

"What the hell is your problem? Gregorio and everyone else was fine with it. What makes you so goddamn important that I have to get your approval?" Troy asked harshly, getting fed up with Raul's attitude.

"I've been with this family for 2 fricken years and I haven't been able to miss a single dinner, what the hell makes you so special?" Raul asked taking a threatening step forward.

"Look if you have an issue with that take it up with Gregorio, not me. Now move." Troy said forcefully pushing past Raul. Raul turned around and grabbed Troy, throwing him into the wall.

"Watch it Martinez. You may have gotten some approval from Gregorio and everyone else. But I for one, don't trust you." Raul said harshly.

"I don't give a fuck if you trust me or not. But I dare you to try and fucking touch me again. See what happens." Troy said darkly as he tried to keep his anger in check.

"Hey. What's going on here?" Gabriella's voice asked softly, as she appeared in the hallway.

Troy glared at Raul as Raul pushed Troy off and began to straighten his shirt, "Nothing Gabriella, go back to sleep." Raul said never letting his gaze with Troy break.

"Well next time you two decide to do _nothing_, try to be more quiet." She said sending Raul a glare before turning around and slamming her bedroom door in annoyance.

Troy just shook his head and went back downstairs to the patio in the backyard. He took a seat in one of the chairs and leaned his head back closing his eyes as he thought back to the meeting he had with Chad earlier.

_Flashback_

"_It's cool man. We got your report. We're looking into Fernando Alonzo's operation, and plan on doing a raid in the next few weeks. He's got a base of operations just outside of New York City. So what is the development with the girl?" _

_Troy looked up at Chad, __"During our drop-off, one of Fernando's men started coming __onto__ Gabriella. I told him to back off and leave her alone __but,__ he kept pushing, which caused Gabriella to yell at him and almost slap him."_

"_Is she trying to get herself killed?" Chad asked half joking._

_"Actually I think she is. I yelled at her and told her to get out__so she got all__ pissed off at me. But finally I got her to leave and then I was able to make the exchange." _

"_She can get a little feisty huh?" Chad grinned __slightly._

"_Yeah, and that wasn't the first time she's gotten into trouble by taunting some guy. You remember the operation that I told you about where we had to go and bail her out?" Chad nodded. "Well, I'm starting to wonder if she taunted those guys too." _

"_So it seems that maybe she doesn't care about dying?"_

"_I think it's more than her just not caring. I'm starting to think she's actually trying to get killed. When I asked her if she was trying to get herself killed, she didn't say yes, but her reaction confirmed it." Troy said while mauling over the events in his head trying to figure out why she would want to die._

"_You really think she'd try to get herself killed though? Why would she do that?" _

"_I don't know. I've been asking myself that question since yesterday. From what I know about her, this doesn't make any sense at all. But I think we need to be concerned about it. Not only could it cost her, her life…it could put me and our operation there in danger." _

"_Okay, well keep an eye on her. Try to get closer to her, and get a little more out of her. If you can find out why she's acting like that, maybe you can convince her to stop." __Chad advised._

_End Flashback_

"Is this seat taken?" Gabriella's voice brought Troy out of his thoughts. He turned his head to look at her; she was standing before him in short shorts and a tank top.

"Is Raul with you?" Troy asked jokingly.

Gabriella giggled softly, "No."

Troy nodded, "Then it's all yours." He said with a light smile.

Gabriella took a seat next Troy and looked out at the yard, "So did everything work out back at home?" Gabriella asked softly.

Troy looked at her, "Umm, Yeah. Thanks," he said before leaning back against the seat again and closing his eyes.

"You're lying." Gabriella said matter-of-factly causing Troy to panic as his heart rate increased.

"What?"

"You're lying. I can tell. You're obviously frustrated about something, and I know it's not just to do with Raul. You're out here to think about something. I do the same thing."

Troy sighed knowing she was onto him, and he needed to throw her off. "You're right. Everything didn't work out. But I don't really want to talk about what happened. It's all in the past, and-,"

"You don't like to talk about the past," Gabriella finished smirking slightly at Troy causing a grin to form on his face. "I'll tell you what Tomas. I'll tell you about what happened yesterday if you tell me about your past, 'cause I'm betting it's got something to do with that tattoo."

Troy debated her offer before answering, "Alright." He said skeptically, hoping that this decision didn't come back to bite him in the ass.

Gabriella smiled and pulled her chair closer to Troy's, so she was directly opposite him, and folded her feet underneath her, getting situated. "Ok so first off I wanna see it." She said pointing to his shoulder blade.

Troy slowly put his hands over his head and pulled on the neck of the shirt until it came off. He turned away from her so she could see that tattoo in the light. Gabriella leaned forward to run her fingers over the tattoo softly.

"So what's the story behind it?" Gabriella asked leaning back into her chair.

Troy leaned back leaving his shirt in his lap, "I told you about Carlos and how he died." Gabriella nodded her head, "Well, he had a little girl named Angela and she meant everything to me. I saw her practically every day. Then after Carlos was shot, his girlfriend packed up taking Angela with her. She said that she didn't want to put Angela at risk, by associating with people in the business. So I got this tattoo as a reminder of what you can lose in this business and that sometimes no matter how much it hurts, you have to do what's best for your family." Troy said barely above a whisper.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Gabriella asked gently.

"About 2 years ago." Troy said with a sigh, hoping that this story he was pouring out was believable and that she would confide in him in return. Troy turned his face to look at her and saw that it was graced with compassion. Troy silently cheered as he knew that she bought the story and he was on his way to knowing what he needed to know. Troy cleared his throat breaking the silence, "So enough about my past. You tell me what was up with yesterday." Troy said turning his full attention to her.

Gabriella sighed, "I don't want you to think I'm suicidal. Cause I'm not." She said looking up at Troy, "Its just-" Gabriella took a deep breath, "it's like I have no choices in life. The only person ever to encourage me to pursue my dreams of teaching was my mom. My dad and my brothers feel like I'm betraying them by going to school. I was born into this life, and I can't get out of doing what they want me to do. It's like I'm enslaved to this family. For you, Juan, Matteo, and Raul, it's not like that. You guys got a choice in the matter. And I've wanted out for awhile, but there's no way to do that without leaving my family, which as you know, I can't do."

"So trying to get yourself killed solves the problem?"

"No, but sometimes I think that it would make things better. I mean I barely have any friends because most of the time when they figure out who my family is they run away screaming and the few that don't, I can't hang out with because I don't want anything to happen to them. Papa and Joe tell me that I was born for this business, that I'm good at just about every aspect. But I don't want to be, I want to get as far away as possible." She said before sighing, "But you and I both know that the only way out for me is going six feet under." She said looking at Troy. Troy sat back in his seat and looked at her. He couldn't believe that she didn't want to be a part of this world when she seemed so in control of it. "But that was what last night was all about and I'm sorry that I put your life in jeopardy as well."

Troy sighed, "Don't worry about it. I just didn't realize you felt that way." He took a moment to collect his thoughts, "If there was a way to get out, no matter what it was, would you take it?" He asked.

Gabriella lifted her head to look at him, "Yeah. I would." She said softly.

* * *

Erin & Corri AN: Hey everyone! We hope you enjoyed this chapter. It is a personal favorite of both of ours, as is the next one. Leave us your thoughts cause we love the feedback! Thanks!


	11. Chapter 11

** Chapter 10**

"Tomas, watch left! He's right behind you."

"I got it Gabi. Stay back!"

"Raul, let's go! Hurry up, go to the right."

"Michael, I got it."

"Damn it!" Raul yelled.

"And we get the victory! Yeaya!" Troy exclaimed giving Gabriella a high-five as he tossed his controller down to celebrate their victory.

The four had been engrossed in an intense Mario Kart battle for the past hour. So far Troy and Gabriella were undefeated.

Raul grimaced as he watched Gabriella lean up to give Troy a quick peck on the cheek. It had been a month since Gabriella and Troy had their conversation on the back patio, and since then they had grown much closer. Gregorio had sent them on a few more runs together, and the two had been spending a lot of time together, mostly just hanging out at the estate.

"Wow, I think that's five times we've beaten you two tonight. Care to give it another shot?"

"Shut up Gabs," Michael interrupted the boasting. "Tomas was carrying your team. No way you would've beaten us otherwise."

"Hey, Gabi carried her weight. You're just pissed 'cause she beat you five times in a row." Troy winked at Gabriella, earning a sweet smile in return.

Raul cleared his throat loudly. "Dinner's in a few hours. Gabriella, didn't you say you wanted to do some homework before then?"

"Oh, right, I did." Gabriella stood up from her place on the couch. "Good job teammate," Gabriella congratulated Troy with a high-five. "See ya later losers," she taunted walking by Michael and Raul.

Troy looked at his watch before getting up. "I think I'm going to head out for a quick run before dinner. I'll be back in a bit."

As Troy approached the benches in the park, he had to stifle a laugh. Chad was sitting on the bench—large, black rimmed glasses on, his hair pulled back and hidden under a dark brown fedora hat, and dressed in a black trench coat. In his right hand, he held the latest issue of Time magazine, and in his left hand, he held a dog leash, attached to a large German shepherd.

Troy walked around to the bench that was back to back with Chad's, and took a seat. Looking in his peripheral vision, he saw Chad pull out a pen, twisting the cap until it made a loud beep, before placing it back in his pocket.

"Alright, we have ten minutes," Chad informed him referring to the ten minutes the pen would interfere with any signals so people couldn't listen in. "What can you tell me? It's been a month since we last talked."

"Since we last met, I've been getting more responsibility within the family. I've been put in charge of the drug operation at the shop on Sunset, which means I am overseeing the deals with marijuana and ecstasy. I've been keeping track of some of the big names where those drugs are going to."

"Good. Yeah, we've been getting that information in your reports, and have been trying to keep tabs on them. What else? Any developments with the family?"

"It's been difficult to get too close with Gregorio and Raul. The two of them keep very to themselves. But, I have gotten closer with Matteo, Joe, Michael, and Gabriella. Ever since that night I told you about where Gabriella and I talked about her situation, the two of us have gotten closer. Gregorio has sent us on a number of missions within the last month—nothing as big as the first run we did though."

"And what about Raul?"

"Raul still has issues with me. I haven't quite figured out what his problem is yet. I know part of it is that he feels threatened by me, since Gregorio has put a lot of trust in me so quickly. But still, I think there's more to it."

"Well, try and figure out some more about what is going on with Raul. Let us know of any new developments. We've got about a minute left," Chad said glancing at his watch. "Anything else?"

"How's Angel?" Troy asked without hesitation.

Chad smiled, loving how much his best friend cared for the little girl. "She's good. She keeps asking about you."

"Tell her I love her."

Troy heard the pen beep again indicating their time was up. In his peripheral vision, he saw Chad nod in response to his last request. Troy grinned and stood up, stretching a little bit before jogging off back to the estate.

After showering and getting dressed, Troy walked downstairs and sat down next to Gabriella for dinner.

"Nice run?" Gabriella asked as she put some salad on her plate before passing it to Troy.

"Yeah. You should come with me next time." Troy suggested prompting Gabriella to laugh.

"Like that would ever happen. I don't run long distances."

"It shows," Troy said sarcastically earning a slap from Gabriella and laughter from everyone at the table except one.

Raul sat across from Troy and Gabriella with an angry look on his face, watching the girl he had been interested in for a year and a half converse happily with the guy who he had grown jealous of.

"I can't believe you said that Tomas." Troy grinned in response.

"Tomas, how are things going down on Sunset?" Gregorio asked turning the conversation into more serious one.

"Smoothly. We've been packing a lot, and we are getting ready for the drop on Thursday night." Troy explained calmly.

"Good," Gregorio nodded. Everyone looked up as Juan's cell phone rang. Juan looked at the caller ID and excused himself from the table. Moments later, he returned.

"Boss, we have a problem."

"What's that?"

"Sanchez still won't pay up. He's tryin' to skip town."

"Tomas, Raul, Matteo," Gregorio called as the three young men looked up. "Go take care of this."

The three guys nodded and stood up quickly, grabbing their stuff before heading out the door.

"Okay, you two go in and get Sanchez," Matteo said as they pulled up outside of a night club. "The informant told us Sanchez was alone, but he may not be. I'll wait here but call me if you need backup."

Troy and Raul nodded before checking their guns and walking towards the club. Raul knocked on the back door three times before it was opened. Stepping inside, Troy and Raul darted towards the room at the end of the hallway. Raul nodded to Troy, and the two walked in, guns drawn to see a man frantically throwing items into boxes and bags.

"Trying to skip town on us, huh?" Raul said making their presence known.

"Raul," Sanchez greeted. "I wasn't leaving. I'm just picking up some things."

"And putting them in suitcases?" Troy questioned with slight amusement.

Sanchez paused, at a loss for words.

"Where's our payment Sanchez?" Raul snarled.

"Payment? You didn't get that?" He asked innocently.

"Nope," Troy took a step closer. "Care to tell us what happened?"

Troy and Raul spun around as the door crashed open. Troy ducked as a man threw a punch at him. Quickly grabbing his arm, Troy spun him around and pressed his face into the wall. He glanced over his shoulder to see Raul in a fist fight with another of Sanchez's men. Glancing around for Sanchez, Troy saw him reach into a bag in the corner of the room, and pull out a gun. Thinking fast, Troy knocked out the guy he had pinned, and ran across the room.

He grabbed onto Sanchez's wrist and went to point the gun upwards. As he did, a gunshot rung through the room and Troy winced in pain. The bullet had clipped his arm barely, but successfully missed everyone else. Troy wrestled the gun away, before spinning Sanchez around and slamming him face first into the wall. Looking over his shoulder, he saw that Raul had knocked his guy out.

"Now," Troy said gritting his teeth, "Where the hell is our money?"

Sanchez didn't respond, prompting Troy to shove his head further into the wall.

"I said," Troy began as he took Sanchez's arm and twisted it behind his back, "where is our money?"

"Corner. Blue bag." Sanchez told them as he grimaced in pain.

"Thank you," Troy elbowed him in the side of his head, watching as he sunk to the floor unconscious.

Raul walked over to the corner of the room, and grabbed the bag. He quickly glanced inside, counting the money, before nodding to Troy. As they exited the room, Troy grabbed onto his arm in pain and looked at Raul, noting his bloodied face and swollen eye.

"What happened to you two?" Matteo asked once they hopped into the car.

"Sanchez had some backup, but we got it under control quickly. The money's all here," Raul informed him as Troy winced in pain from the back seat.

Upon arriving at the estate, the three guys quickly entered the estate. Raul handed the bag to Matteo, who headed towards Gregorio's office.

Troy walked to the kitchen to get a drink, where he saw Gabriella sitting at the counter. Hearing someone walk in, Gabriella turned to see Troy standing there.

"What happened?" She asked as she immediately sprung from her seat and walked over to where Troy was standing.

"What do you mean?"

"Your arm, you idiot. You're bleeding. Did you get shot?"

Troy glanced down at his arm and shrugged. "I just got clipped. It's no big deal."

Gabriella gingerly touched his arm, causing him to wince somewhat. "Not a big deal? It's bleeding pretty badly. Come on." Gabriella grabbed his other arm and led him out of the kitchen, passing by Raul who was standing directly behind the two.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine," Raul yelled out sarcastically as he watched the two climb the stairs.

"Sit," Gabriella ordered as she pulled the toilet seat down and gently pushed Troy down.

"Gabi, I'm fine," Troy persisted.

Gabriella turned to the medicine cabinet, and pulled out some hydrogen peroxide, gauze, and bandages. "No you're not. We need to disinfect it. It looks like the bleeding has stopped."

Troy nodded and attempted to roll up his shirt sleeve.

"Just take your shirt off, it'll be easier," Gabriella suggested as she opened up the hydrogen peroxide and poured some onto a cloth.

Troy smirked. "You just wanted to see me with my shirt off. Don't lie."

"You wish, Tomas. Now hurry up. I want to go to bed soon."

Troy grinned and took off his shirt, smirking as Gabriella momentarily stared at his chest.

"Alright, this is gonna sting," she warned as she gently placed one hand on his shoulder, and pressed the cloth down onto his wound on the opposite arm.

"Ahh!" Troy yelled as he sucked in a breath in pain.

"Told you." Gabriella replied with a smirk, earning a playful glare from Troy. After a few seconds, Gabriella slowly removed the cloth.

"Thank God," Troy muttered as he glanced over at his wound. Gabriella grinned and stood up, rinsing the cloth before drenching it in more hydrogen peroxide. Kneeling down next to him, she placed the cloth once again over the wound.

"Ahh! Geez woman! How many times do we have to do this?"

"Sorry. We just need to make sure it's not infected, it will hurt a lot more if it gets infected." Gabriella told him as she held the cloth firmly over the wound.

"Here," Gabriella said, pulling the cloth away. She set the cloth aside before leaning close to Troy's arm and blowing gently on the wound. Troy shivered as he stared at her, admiring her beauty and the fact that she was so close to him.

"Better?" Gabriella questioned as she looked up into his dark brown eyes. Troy stared back into her chocolate brown eyes, getting lost in them. Reaching out, he tucked a stray curl behind her ear. Slowly they both began to lean in. Troy could feel her breath on his lips as he got lost in the moment. But suddenly at the last second, he pulled away.

"We can't do this," Troy whispered. "I work for your dad. It wouldn't be right."

"Wouldn't be right? We work for the mafia. We deal drugs for a living. You're telling me you suddenly have morals, and can't do this?"

"Listen, Gabi. I don't want to screw things up alright? I just started working with your family, and I don't want to lose your father's trust," Troy told her looking into her eyes.

Gabriella nodded her head in understanding. "You're right. I'm sorry," Gabriella said as the two made eye contact one more time, completely oblivious to the jealous, black-haired man standing outside the door.

"Here," she said placing a bandage over his cut. "See you in the morning."

"Night." Troy called out as she walked down the hallway. _Troy, you're supposed to get close to her but not that close. What am I thinking? I almost lost focus, and if that happens it's gonna cost me this job and most likely my life. I can't let this girl mess this up. _

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone so much for the reviews last chapter. Sorry we didn't update yesterday, but with the ff alerts not working, we decided to wait till today. This was another personal favorite chapter, so we hope you enjoyed it. Let us know. **


	12. Chapter 12

**Disguised Affection**

Troy looked through the paper work again not sure he was seeing things correctly. He sighed as the numbers definitely confirmed it. Somebody was smuggling the drug money from the family from the inside. Now Troy had to figure out who was doing it. Troy pushed away from the dinner table that he was using to look over all the documents. He walked down the hallway and knocked on the office door.

"Enter." Gregorio said from the other side.

Troy slowly pushed the door open and slipped inside, "Sir, I was wondering if I could see the records for the place on Sunset from the last couple of months." He said walking towards the desk.

Gregorio nodded and stood up and walked to a filing cabinet and pulled out a thick folder and handed it to Troy, "Is there anything I should be worried about?" He asked sitting back down in his chair.

"I just want to double check some things." Troy said.

"Tomas, if there is something going on I want to know about it. I've given you my trust, don't abuse it." Gregorio said sternly.

Troy nodded his head, "It seems that someone is smuggling some of the drug money out of the family, and it seems to be from inside."

"How long has this been going on?" he demanded.

"I don't know sir. That's why I asked for the records, because if someone is stealing, it's barely enough to even notice in the records for someone who isn't looking for it."

"Then how did you discover it?" Gregorio asked.

"I stumbled across it while making sure everything checked out, it was purely by fluke sir." Troy said respectively.

"I expect you to keep me updated Tomas." He said.

"Yes Sir." Troy said before turning around and walking out the door and back to the dinner table. Troy sat back down going over the new records seeing the same thing repeat itself through each other the records. Troy was searching for it in the next set of records when Gabriella sat down next to him.

"Hey, what are you up to?"

"Just going over some stuff," Troy admitted motioning to the papers in a pile not bothering to lift his head. "What's up?"

"I have a favor to ask."

"Shoot." He said absently mindedly as his eyes continued to scan the page.

"Could you come with me into town? I need to run some errands."

Troy's eyes left the paper for the first time to finally look at her, "What kind of errands?" Troy asked skeptically.

"The kind that I need to run," Gabriella said stubbornly with a grin. "Look, just come with me please. My brothers said I can't go out alone for some reason, and I really need to go."

Troy raised his eyebrows skeptically, "Since when do you listen to your brothers? Plus, I really need to finish looking over these records-"

"Tomas, you've been avoiding me for three days. Look, I'm not gonna make you go with me to Victoria's Secret or anything. Come on, please."

Troy looked at Gabriella and could feel himself caving, "Fine," he sighed. "Let me go put this stuff in my room real quick, and grab a jacket."

"Thanks," Gabriella grinned and Troy smiled in response before darting upstairs.

Troy returned moments later. "Alright, let's go Montez." Gabriella smiled before following him out the door.

--

"You needed to go shopping? That's what you dragged me here to do?" Troy asked incredulously.

"Oh come on," Gabriella latched onto his arm, "I promise you'll have fun too." She said fluttering her eyelashes overdramatically before pulling him into a store as he groaned the whole way.

Troy stood off to the side watching as Gabriella looked through racks and racks of clothes. He watched her eyes light up as she found a dress she liked.

"Tomas, what do you think of this?" Gabriella asked turning around and holding the dress up to her body. Troy looked at the dress and tried to imagine her in it however, his thoughts instantly turned inappropriate.

Troy cleared his throat, "Ummm…I don't know." Troy said hoping that she would put the dress back and keep looking.

"I'm going to go try it on, then tell me what you think." Gabriella said before walking back to the dressing room.

Fuck.

Troy reluctantly followed and stood outside the dressing room waiting for her to come out. He looked around the store trying to kill time until a clearing of the throat brought Troy back to his senses. Troy spun around and froze. His throat went dry as his eyes roamed her body. Gabriella was wearing a different dress than what she took back. It was a white dress that hugged every curve which led to even more impure thoughts.

"So what do you think?" Gabriella asked while taking a slow turn in front of him.

Damn. 

"Ummm…it looks good," Troy said more like a question than a statement.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "And this is why I go shopping with girls."

"Hey, you're the one who wanted me to come. I was perfectly content back at home."

"You're right. I did set myself up for this." Troy grinned triumphantly. "Okay, you want to go get some food? Cause I'm starving."

Troy shot up from his chair. "Now you're talkin'. Let's go."

Gabriella smiled and walked side by side with Troy towards the exit. Glancing to her side, a dress caught her eye. "Ooo, hold on," she said walking towards the dress, "Let me try this one on real qui-." Gabriella was cut off as Troy grabbed her arm lightly and pulled her towards the exit.

"Tomas! Come on, I'll be like two seconds," Gabriella begged as she put on her best puppy dog face.

Troy shook his head, sending her a grin. "Nope. You can't dangle food in front of me and then snatch it away. That's cruel."

Gabriella sighed. "Fine, but we're coming back."

"That's what you think." Troy scoffed.

"Oh we are, just you wait." Gabriella said trying to sound threatening which only made Troy burst out into laughter.

"Uh-huh. I bet." He said as they turned left to go to the pizza vendor down the street.

"So, favorite type of pizza?" Troy asked as the two stood at the counter looking up at the menu.

"Hawaiian, hands down."

Troy turned and faced her. "No way." She nodded. "Hell yeah, me too. Hawaiian is the best."

After ordering the pizza, Troy sat down at a booth in the corner, across from Gabriella. Troy smiled as Gabriella didn't even notice he sat down. Her gaze was instead focused on the Jets-Jaguars game on the screen in the corner of the room.

"NO! Bad call!" Gabriella yelled as she threw her hands up in frustration causing Troy to erupt in laughter.

"I take it you're a sports fan?"

"Yeah. It's kinda hard not to be when the house is filled with boys and you have two older brothers."

"Favorite teams?" Troy asked before taking a sip of soda.

"Jets, Knicks, and Yankees." Gabriella rattled off.

"I was with you up until the Yankees. I'm a Mets fan."

"A Mets fan, huh? I'm afraid I can no longer have your back out on runs. I could never help out a Mets fan." Gabriella smirked as she playfully teased him.

"Well, the feeling's mutual." Troy shot back joining in the teasing.

Their conversation was momentarily interrupted as the waitress brought out their order. Troy smiled gratefully at the waitress before dishing himself and Gabriella a piece of hot pizza. Gabriella grabbed her a piece and took a big bite and sauce gush out onto her lip. She dropped the pizza and wiped it off with a napkin whimpering.

"Are you ok?" Troy asked setting his piece on the plate looking at her with concerned eyes.

She nodded her head, "Yeah I just burnt my lip." She said looking up at him with watery smile.

Troy reached his hand in his glass of water and pulled out an ice cube and reached over the table lightly touching it to her lip. "Keep that on it and it should help numb it a bit." Troy sat back against the chair, "If you didn't know already. Pizza is H-O-T." He said laughing to himself. Gabriella laughed sarcastically before throwing the piece of ice at him.

Troy and Gabriella ate their pizza talking here and there about the new rankings in the NBA and who was definitely coming out on top. Troy finished first and sat back watching Gabriella eat.

"You're doing that staring thing again." She said teasingly as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.

"We'll I'm just so amazed at how much you eat." He said teasing her back.

"Hey! I'd rather be fat and happy, then skinny and starving." Gabriella said laughing.

"Good. Cause you're perfect the way you are. Now I'm going to go pay I'll be right back." Troy said getting up from the table.

"No! I'm paying for myself." Gabriella said stubbornly, getting up from the table, pizza still in her hand.

"No you're not. Now sit down and finish your pizza." Troy said sternly walking off leaving her still protesting him paying for her but he continued walking and tuning her out. He reached the front and stood in front of the cashier.

"2 slices of Hawaiian pizza." Troy said pulling out his wallet.

"7 dollars." They guy said from across the counter.

Troy handed him a 10, "Keep the change."

"Tomas Martinez! I said I would pay for myself, are you hard of hearing?" She asked mildly annoyed.

"Only when you talk." Troy said with a smirk.

Gabriella hit him on the arm as Troy slung his arm around her shoulders and turned around and started heading towards the door, but a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Uncle Twoy!"

* * *

Erin & Corri A/N: Hey guys! finally a posting on saturday! wooo! lol, we hope you liked this chapter it seems that everyone is getting into the story which is amazing! leave us a review and leep us updated on your thoughts.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disguised Affection-Chapter 12**

_Gabriella hit him on the arm as Troy slung his arm around her shoulders and turned around and started heading towards the door, but a voice stopped him in his tracks. _

"_Uncle Twoy!"_

--

Troy looked to see Angie running towards him and crashing into his legs. Troy stood there as a million things ran through his head. Everything he'd worked for was now ruined. Troy looked up to see Zeke running towards them.

"I'm so sorry sir." He said bending down and picking Angie up, "Her uncle just died and you look a lot like him," Zeke said obviously spitting out the first thing he could think of.

Troy nodded, "It's okay. It happens." He said before walking towards the door towing Gabriella along.

"UNCLE TWOY!" Angie screamed out with tears running down her face. Troy's heart wretched as he heard Angie call out for him. "It's me! Your angel face!" She said as tears continued to cascade down her face. Troy kept walking, "UNCLE TWOOOOOOOOY!" She wailed. As the door closed, Troy could still hear her faint cries from inside.

Troy and Gabriella walked in silence down the street back towards the car. Troy noticed that Gabriella had been looking up at him and staring. He was trying to keep a straight face, but inside his emotions were running wild. He couldn't deny that his heart was breaking thinking of how much Angie missed him and knowing he missed her just as much.

"Tomas, you okay?" Gabriella's voice broke the silence.

_Crap. Troy don't screw this up_. "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking how sad it is that the little girl back there lost her uncle. It reminded me of Angela and how she lost her dad. That's so tough on kids, you know?"

Gabriella grinned at his thoughtful words. "Yeah, I know what you mean. That little girl looked so sad. She must have been really close with her uncle." Troy felt his heart break some more. Troy knew he needed to change the subject before he gave something away.

"So, where to now?" Troy asks prompting Gabriella to look at her watch.

"Well, we should probably be getting back."

"No more shopping? That sucks," Troy said sarcastically. "Guess I was right about not going back to that store, huh?" He reminded her.

"Oh, don't you worry. You'll be going back there with me later this week."

"You wish."

"Whatever Tomas," Gabriella commented as she opened her car door, "You know you love shopping." Gabriella smirked as Troy rolled his eyes and pulled out of the parking lot.

The front door to the Montez estate swung open, and Raul looked up from his place on the couch in the front room—a look of disdain on his face.

"No way Tomas," Gabriella disagreed as the two laughed, "the Yankees are way better than the Mets…always have been, always will be."

"I'll give it to you that the Yankees have been better in the past, but no way will they always be better. The Mets are way stronger than the Yankees this year." Troy trudged through the door lugging a few bags.

"Doubt it," Gabriella said smugly as she gently shut the door. "Only idiotic people would pick the Mets over the Yankees." Gabriella laughed at Troy's offended look.

"Fine. Just because you said that…I'm not carrying your bags," Troy smirked before dropping her four bags in the entry way by the front door.

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Big baby," she muttered as she picked up her bags and followed him into the front room. Gabriella looked up and her eyes met with the dark, menacing ones of Raul.

"Where were you two all day?" Raul snarled causing Troy to roll his eyes.

Gabriella paused, taken back by his tone. "Ummm, we went shopping for a little while." Troy's face became hard when he saw Gabriella flinch a bit from his tone. "I'm going to go put my stuff away." She said hurrying up the stairs leaving Troy and Raul to themselves.

"I hope you had fun with your little girlfriend, because I had to do YOUR run because YOU weren't here." Raul spat at him.

"There wasn't a run scheduled for today. So how was I supposed to know?"

"Sunset is supposed to be your responsibility, so why am I doing your work?"

"Look I'm getting a little tired of you getting all pissed off at me all the time," Troy barked getting in Raul's face.

Raul clenched his fists tighter and raised his voice. "If you would pay attention to your work and stop trying to get with Gabriella then maybe I wouldn't have to get in your face all the time."

"What the hell are you talking about Cruz?"

"I'm talking about you spending the whole damn day with Gabriella!" Raul exclaimed.

"So what? Are you jealous? She asked me to go with her cause she couldn't go alone. I'm not trying to get with Gabi. We're just friends."

"Just friends with _Gabi_? Gabi huh? Well tell me Martinez," Raul said getting closer and poking his finger into Troy's chest. "Do you always try to kiss your friends?" It hit Troy that Raul must have seen them the other night. "That's right Martinez. I saw you two the other night. Don't tell me nothing's going on." Raul pushed Troy a little harder.

Troy's eyes grew darker. He brought his hand up and swatted away Raul's hand, before swinging across and punching him in the jaw, causing him to fall back onto the couch. "I told you Cruz. Keep your hands off of me, and stay the hell out of my life." And with that Troy turned to go upstairs.

--

Troy slowly rolled over and turned off his alarm clock. He had a meeting in the morning with Chad, and then he was going to spend the rest of the day going over the records for Sunset trying to figure out what was happening.

Quickly punching in a text message, Troy grabbed his ipod and let the music blast through his ears as he ran downstairs and out the front door towards the park. He arrived before Chad, so he sat there mulling over what had gone on the past few days. He thought about his growing friendship with Gabriella, and the confrontation he had with Raul the night before. Thinking about Raul's actions, it suddenly hit him that maybe Raul had a thing for Gabriella. _Damn. That's probably part of why he hates me so much._

He was brought out of his thoughts as he heard someone sit behind him and heard a long beep.

"Ten minutes as usual," Troy grinned at his best friend's voice. He was glad Chad was assigned to these meets because it helped a little to satisfy his desire to be back home. "So what do you have for me?"

Troy sighed. "A lot of developments actually. I was looking over some paperwork for the place on Sunset that I am in charge of, and I discovered that someone is stealing from the inside."

"Really? Any idea who?"

"No, not yet. I haven't had time to look in depth into the records. I was about to study them yesterday, but I had to go with Gabi to run some errands."

"Gabi?" Chad questioned, picking up on the new nickname.

Troy cleared his throat. "Gabriella. And she is a part of the other development. She and I have been spending more time together on runs and stuff, as you know." Chad nodded even though Troy couldn't see, since they were back to back. "Well, I think I figured out more of what is going on with Raul. Last night he and I got into it a little-,"

"A little?" Chad interrupted, raising his eyebrow. He knew Troy well enough – there was no such thing as a little.

"Well, I kinda punched him in the jaw." Chad laughed. "In my defense, he was in my face and pushing me. I warned him before. Anyways," Troy cleared his throat, "I think he has a thing for Gabriella, and that's why he has such issues with me."

"How do you know this?"

The question threw Troy a bit. He knew it could lead to problems if he admitted that he and Gabriella almost kissed. "He just got really jealous when he saw us coming back from our errands. He told me to focus on my work and stop trying to get with Gabriella."

"Are you?"

"Am I what?" Troy asked even though he knew what Chad was asking.

"Trying to get with Gabriella."

_Am I? _"Hell no. I'm there to do a job." Troy answered trying to sound convincing.

Chad wasn't sure he was convinced, but decided to let it slide instead of getting into an argument. "Okay, well just keep your focus, because one slip up and you know what can happen."

"I know. I won't screw this up."

Chad checked his watch. "Anything more?" Troy immediately thought of what happened the other day with Angie.

"Yeah. How's Angel?" Troy's heart wrenched as he remembered her cries for him.

Chad sighed. "I heard about what happened. She's okay…not great. She cried all night long saying that she wanted you. J sent her with his parents for the day to the zoo. They are hoping it helps her get her mind off of you. I know though she won't forget. Be safe man. That little girl is attached to you."

Troy took a deep breath. "I'm attached to her too. Tell her I love her?"

"Will do. Be safe."

"Always." Troy stood up and headed back to the estate.

Troy sat at the desk in his room, flipping through page after page. He was finally getting deeper into the problems. The money had been disappearing for almost a year. It was barely noticeable as it was only a small amount, but it was consistently happening each month.

Troy placed his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted from looking at the records all day long. He still couldn't pinpoint who exactly it was that was stealing the money. He had eliminated almost everyone in the family. There were still so many possibilities though, even outside the family. The Montez family had a lot of people working for them, and it could have been any number of people.

Troy's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Come in," Troy called out as he spun around in his desk chair so that he was facing the door.

"Hey Tomas," Joe greeted as he walked into the room. "Here is the paperwork from the run Raul made last night."

"Thanks Joe. I'm sorry I missed that. I thought the run was not going to take place for a few days." Troy grabbed the paperwork from Joe and placed it on his desk.

"No problem," Joe reassured him. "We thought it'd be a few days too. Raul called last minute and said there was a change of plans." Troy nodded. "Besides, we appreciate you going with Gabriella yesterday. We don't like her going out by herself, especially with all the fights she's been getting in."

"No problem," Troy said recalling the discussion he had with Gabriella a month before. "Thanks for bringing this up." Joe nodded before walking out and shutting the door.

Troy sighed and flipped open the paperwork as was routine. Suddenly something caught his eye. He paused and looked over the numbers a few more times.

_Holy shit._

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Hey everyone! We hope you liked this chapter. Thank you so much for all the reviews last chapter. We love hearing your thoughts. Also, just so you know, there will be a slight delay in the next update for My Guys. Erin is busy moving out of her house so it may take awhile before she has time to update. Thanks again for all your support on this story and the other stories we both are writing. We appreciate it! **


	14. Chapter 14

**Disguised Affection Chapter 13**

Troy smiled as he saw the girl sitting at the counter—a newspaper in her left hand, and a cup of coffee in her right. Slowly, he crept quietly behind her. He waited until she set down her coffee cup before grabbing her sides.

"Ahh!" Gabriella turned and glared at Troy. "Tomas, you scared the crap out of me."

"Aww, I'm sorry," Troy mocked earning another glare. Troy smirked as Gabriella turned back around and pretended to be engrossed in the morning paper. Gabriella shrieked again as Troy grabbed her sides, tickling her causing her to squirm.

"Tomas! St-t-, ah! Stop!"

The two were so caught up in their own laughter that they didn't hear the third person enter the kitchen. An annoyed Raul, cleared his throat to get their attention as he menacingly glared at them.

"Uh, hey Raul," Gabriella greeted as she pushed Troy's hands off her sides.

Raul gave Gabriella a small smile, and then turned to give Troy a dirty look before walking over to the coffee pot. Raul grabbed some paperwork off the counter and began flipping through it. As he did, Troy's thoughts traveled back to what he had discovered the night before.

_How long has he been doing this? _Troy thought as he watched Raul take a sip of coffee and study a page intently. _The records showed it's been happening for a year at least. But he's been around for a little more than that. Was it from the beginning? Is he working for someone else? Or just for himself? _

"Morning everyone," Michael said as he got a cup of coffee and sat down at the table next to Raul. "Hey Raul. What is that?"

"The papers from a deal a few weeks ago. The same buyer we are delivering to next week."

_How can he do this to the family? Steal from the inside, and pretend he's loyal. Wait. Damn, that's what I'm doing, well except for the stealing part. I'm practically ruining their lives instead._

"How'd the run go the other night?" Michael asked as he grabbed the sports section of the paper.

"Fine. We got a call that they wanted the drop to be made early. So I got the stuff ready that Martinez didn't prepare yet, and I made the drop for him." Raul smirked at Troy who was biting his lip.

"Shut the hell up Raul," Gabriella jumped in. "Tomas was just helping me out since you guys all have a problem with me being out alone."

Troy looked up at Gabriella and smiled as she winked at him. Troy grabbed an apple off the counter, and took a seat at the opposite end of the table from Raul. As Gabriella was cooking some eggs, with her back to the table, Troy looked to see Raul staring longingly at her.

_What the hell is he doing? He has no chance with her. Why's he looking at her like all he wants is to get her in bed? I'll kill him if he touches her. _Troy's eyes widened in alarm at that thought._ Where did that come from?_

"Good morning," Joe greeted as he took a seat. "Tomas, Raul," he said getting their attention, "Papa wants you two to both be at Sunset today. Tomas, you are to oversee things as normal. And Raul, you are to pack up the drop for next week."

The two men quickly finished their breakfasts, and got ready to leave. Troy grabbed his coat but was stopped by Gabriella, "Hey Tomas I have to get books for the upcoming semester sometime this week I was wondering if you could take me?" Gabriella asked sweetly.

Troy shrugged his shoulders, "Sure, I don't see why not." He said pulling on his jacket.

Gabriella stood on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "Thanks." She said before scurrying back up to her room.

Troy stood there frozen as his thoughts whirled on what the kiss was supposed to mean, but his thoughts were interrupted by his least favorite person. "Are you done saying goodbye to your girlfriend? Cause I have a job to do." Raul says irritably before turning around and walking to the garage.

"I'm sure you do." Troy muttered under his breath before walking out behind him.

--

Troy walked straight to his office when they arrived at Sunset. He opened the door and walked over to his desk. He sat down before pulling out some of the paperwork that he needed to get started on, because the books for the front company were due at the end of the month and he had to make sure that they seemed legit. As Troy continued to look over the books he decided that he would do a walk around to make sure everything was going smoothly. He pushed himself away from the desk and made his way into the main room. Troy walked over to one of the guys.

"¿Cómo era la entrega de esta semana?" Troy asked.

"Fue tal y como previsto sin problemas." The guy replied before going back to work. Troy continued walking and asking a few of the guys how the deliveries went for the week and each said there were no problems, until the last one.

"Hey Carlos. How was your drop for the week?" Troy asked leaning against the table.

"I didn't do a drop for this week." Carlos said giving Troy a confused look.

"You were scheduled for the Hernandez drop. That was the biggest drop we had this week." Troy said panicking.

"The drop was made but I didn't do it. Raul told me that you asked him to do it since you weren't here." Carlos said defending himself.

Troy sighed in relief, "Well, how did it go?" he asked.

Carlos went to answer but was cut off by the door busting open and slamming into the adjacent wall. "Martinez!" The guy yelled.

Troy turned to see a large man with a guy next to him, "Can I help you?" Troy asked stiffly.

"Where is the rest of my shipment?" He asked advancing towards Troy.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Troy asked meeting the furious man half way.

"I was supposed to receive 10 pounds of marijuana in addition to the 250 ecstasy pills. Why didn't you send the rest of my shipment?" The man spat as he got into Troy's face.

Troy wiped the spit off his cheek, anger boiling up inside. He knew this was Raul's fault, and now he needed to smooth things over before things took a wrong turn.

"I am not sure what happened, but you will get the rest of your shipment tonight," Troy assured him.

"I am holding you personally responsible Martinez if I don't," the man said threateningly to Troy.

"I can assure you that I will personally make sure you get the rest of your shipment by 5:00 tonight."

"5:00. Not a minute later," the man ordered before storming back out of the room.

Troy spun around and rubbed his forehead, trying to calm himself down from the conversation he just had. Troy knew this was all Raul's fault, and now his own job and life were on the line due to Raul's disloyalty. Troy quickly threw down some paperwork on the desk nearby in anger before storming off towards the packing area where he knew Raul would be.

Troy slammed the door open causing all the heads in the room to turn abruptly towards him.

"Cruz! We need to talk. Now!"

Raul roughly pushed aside the bag he was packing as he walked over towards Troy.

"What the hell do you want Martinez?"

Troy looked around and saw everyone in the room staring at the two. "Outside." Troy turned and walked outside as Raul reluctantly followed.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are giving me orders!" Raul yelled harshly once the two were out of earshot of everyone else.

"Who I am? I don't know who you think you are. I know what you're doing to this family." Troy angrily shot back.

Troy could see Raul's face drop slightly before he quickly covered it up. "Martinez, I don't know what the hell you are talking about. I am doing nothing wrong to this family."

Troy scoffed. "So you're telling me that the missing drugs and money from the last few drops you did are not your fault?" Raul's face dropped again. "Yeah, I know what you are up to Raul. Gonzales just came in furious that he didn't get his entire shipment. He wants it by 5:00 tonight. This is on you. You better fix it, or I'm going to Gregorio with what I know." Troy brushed past Raul roughly as he headed back towards his office.

Raul laughed. "You don't have the guts." He called out causing Troy to pause.

Troy turned around and stared Raul dead in the eyes. "Try me."

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone so much for the reviews in the previous chapters. Keep them coming! We love to read them. We hope you liked this chapter. The next one is another personal favorite. Let us know what you thought about this chapter! :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disguised Affection Chapter 14**

As Troy entered the house, he slammed the door in rage, fuming at the conversation he had with Raul. He walked into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of water and chugged it before slamming it on the counter.

"Someone seems to be in a good mood." Gabriella said sarcastically as she walked into the kitchen and leaned against the door frame.

Troy turned to look at her with his face still hard, "Now's not the time Gabriella." He said in a serious tone. Gabriella slowly walked over to him and reached up to stroke his cheek before pulling the sides of his mouth into a smile, causing him to chuckle.

"See? Much better. Now we can go." She said before turning around and walking off.

"Whoa! Wait! Go where!?" Troy asked franticly.

Gabriella turned slightly, and tossed the keys towards Troy. Troy reached out and caught them as Gabriella smirked. "You're driving. Let's go."

Before Troy could argue, Gabriella turned and walked out the front door towards the car.

"So are you gonna tell me where we're going?" Troy asked, standing outside the car

"How soon you forget," Gabriella shook her head, faking disappointment. "I need books for school remember?"

"And this was the best time to go?"

Gabriella smiled. "Well yeah…"

Troy shook his head in amusement, "And why is that?"

Gabriella shrugged, "Because I said so. Now get in." She said before slipping into the passenger seat. Troy stood there for a moment before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the car.

"You're lucky your dad's my boss, otherwise I wouldn't be so nice." Troy said teasingly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes and swatted his arm, "You'd do it anyway and you know it."

"Why do you say that?" He asked briefly glancing at her.

"Cause I'm cute." She said while giggling.

"Uh-huh, suuuure." He said, rolling his eyes.

Gabriella's mouthed opened in mock offense, "You don't think I'm cute."

Troy shifted uncomfortably in his seat, "ummm…" he cleared his throat as it felt like the temperature in the car just hiked up about ten degrees.

Gabriella smirked. "It's okay...you can say it. Unless you aren't attracted to girls...," Gabriella trailed off laughing as Troy's jaw dropped.

"No, no, no! I like women." Troy protested, obviously flustered at Gabriella's incessant laughter.

"Just making sure." She said trying to stifle her laughs as Troy pulled into a parking space outside the off campus book store.

Gabriella climbed out as soon as the car came to a stop. Troy got out and followed her inside. Not even bothering to try to look for her books herself, she went straight up to the counter and gave the guy her class schedule.

"Hi, I need some help finding my books for these classes."

The young black haired student worker smiled at her before stepping out from behind the counter. "Right this way," he said leading her towards the education section.

Troy followed them but paused once they got to the aisle. He placed his hand on her shoulder causing her to turn and look at him. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the restroom. Be right back."

A few minutes later, Troy walked back over towards the aisle Gabriella was in and paused as he heard the two chatting.

"You were in Thompson's class last semester? Me too. I thought I recognized you," the student worker said as he held Gabriella's books, a huge grin on his face. "You sat in the front row every period. Teacher's pet type huh?"

Gabriella giggled causing Troy, who was hidden behind the end stack of books, to roll his eyes. "Shut up! At least I actually paid attention in class, and didn't fall asleep five minutes into class." Gabriella pushed him lightly on his shoulder.

"So you do know who I am then?" The guy wiggled his eyebrows at Gabriella.

"Not really," she replied. "It's just hard to miss the guy snoring in the back corner of the class."

Troy felt his blood begin to boil as he watched the two interact.

"Well, maybe we can meet up for coffee tomorrow morning and get to know each other," the guy said carefully handing Gabriella a few of her books. Troy decided he had heard enough. He stepped out from behind the shelf and made his way towards the two, standing beside Gabriella. Troy wrapped one arm around Gabriella's waist, sending her a small smile as she grinned up at him, while he took her books in the other hand. Troy looked up and sent the guy a small glare which went unnoticed by Gabriella, who was still smiling at Troy.

"You ready?" Troy asked. Gabriella nodded and Troy dropped his hand from her waist and placed it on the small of her back as the two walked towards the checkout counter following the disappointed student worker.

Gabriella came to a sudden stop, "Oh wait I need pens!" She scurried over to another aisle while Troy dutifully followed. While Gabriella searched for the perfect pen, Troy also browsed through the pens. _A pen is a pen why do they need 50 different types?_ _And besides, who writes in yellow?_

"Tomas." Gabriella called grabbing his attention.

Troy turned only to have a pen dragged across his face, leaving a nice pen mark from his ear to his chin. Gabriella burst into a fit of giggles.

"I know you did NOT just mark on me." Troy said, grabbing a pen beside him. "How do you think you would look with pen on YOUR face?"

"No no no no." Gabriella said through her giggles as she backed away.

"Oh yes." Troy said before lunging and marking her arm with the pen.

Gabriella scoffed and looked down at her arm, covering up the mark. "Ahh! You scratched me!" Troy stepped closer and reached out to touch her arm lightly.

"Really? How did I scratch you?" Gabriella quickly took hold of his wrist and drew a big heart on his forearm, laughing before running off down the next aisle, Troy right behind her.

Troy reached out and grabbed Gabriella around the waist pulling her tightly into his body. He took out his pen and brought it near her forehead.

"Tomas! No! Don't you dare write on my face! That's uncalled for." Gabriella squirmed in attempts to get out of his strong grasp, causing Troy to place both arms back around her waist.

"Um, excuse me?" Troy took one arm away and brought it to his face, still holding tightly to her with the other. "What is this?" Troy pointed to the red ink line going down the side of his face. "You broke the rules first." Troy smirked before bringing the pen back towards her forehead.

He laughed while she wriggled in his arms trying to get loose.

"What are you writing? A novel?" Gabriella questioned feeling Troy write multiple times across her forehead.

"Nope," Troy grinned. "There! Done!" Troy smiled, admiring his work.

"Ugh, let me see." Gabriella finally escaped from his hold and pulled a small mirror out of her purse. Troy gazed over her shoulder as she looked into the mirror. "_Tomas is amazing,"_ Gabriella read off, rolling her eyes in the process.

Troy laughed. "I couldn't have said it better myself." Troy put his hand on her shoulder turning her to face him.

"Nah-uh. No more writing," Gabriella ordered.

Troy set the pen down and placed his hands up innocently in the air. "I wasn't going to. I just want to admire my work," Troy grinned, taking hold of her shoulders once more to look at her forehead. "A masterpiece!" Troy exclaimed before leaning down and placing his lips on her forehead in a mock gesture of admiration of his work. As he pulled away, their eyes connected. Troy brought his hand up from her shoulder and tucked a stray curl behind her ear, letting his hand linger on the back of her neck. The two stared longingly at each other.

"Anything else I can help you guys with?" Troy dropped his hand from Gabriella's neck and rolled his eyes at the student worker.

Troy looked at Gabriella who was blushing furiously as she quickly shook her head. "No, we have everything. Thank you."

"Alright. Then I can help you right up here." Gabriella grabbed the first packet of pens she saw before following the worker back up to the counter. Troy stood a few feet back, watching Gabriella while she paid for her books.

"Here you go. Good luck with all your classes," the guy said, handing the bag of books to Gabriella. She went to grab them, but didn't notice Troy who came up behind her to grab the bag for her and placed his other hand on her lower back leading her towards the exit.

Troy opened the door and held it open for Gabriella. Gabriella sent him a small smile before the two made their journey back to the car.

Troy smiled at Gabriella once the two got into the car. "Cool tattoo," he laughed and winked, causing her to roll her eyes. She pulled down the sun visor on the passenger side and looked into the mirror, lightly rubbing her fingers over the writing on her forehead.

"I still can't believe you did that Tomas!"

Troy laughed. "You started it. I was just returning the favor." Troy winked at her once again before turning on the car engine. "So where to?"

"Home, because I obviously can't take you anywhere." Gabriella said rolling her eyes teasingly.

Troy's mouth dropped in mock offense, "Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

Gabriella tried to conceal her smile, "No, no. Of course not."

"Mhmm sure." Troy said while pulling out into traffic while chuckling to himself.

--

Troy walked in the front door with Gabriella laughing behind him. "Oh come on that guy so had the hots for me, I mean look at me!" Troy said stopping a moment to present himself with a slow dramatic turn.

"Wow you really are full of yourself aren't you?" She said pushing him playfully before walking towards the kitchen.

Troy shrugged, "You know you like it" he said following her into the kitchen.

"Somedays." She said placing her purse on the counter.

Troy set the books he was carrying beside her purse and pinned her against the counter, "What about today?" he asked huskily with a teasing smirk.

Gabriella looked up at him, "Like you wouldn't believe." She said in a whisper, never taking her eyes away from his. Gabriella reached up and pulled his face to hers. Troy eagerly kissed back pinning her to the counter with his body. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip begging for entrance, she obliged as Troy darted his tongue in her mouth memorizing every crevice. Gabriella moaned as her hands instantly shot up and tangled them in his hair pulling him closer. He picked her up and set her on counter as he got in between her legs only to pull her closer. He let out a throaty moan as he felt her tug at his hair. Troy's hands roamed underneath her shirt loving the feeling of her silky smooth skin against his calloused hands. Gabriella started to pull his shirt over his head until Troy came back to his senses and immediately removed his hold on Gabriella and stepped back panting. He took in her swollen lips and tousled hair along with the hiked up shirt. This shouldn't have happened, Troy couldn't believe that he let things get that far.

"Damnit Gabriella!" Troy yelled breathlessly before he started pacing running his hands through his already tousled hair.

Gabriella sent him a glare, "What the hell is your problem!?"

Troy turned to her with his eyes wide, "What's my problem? You fucking kissed me! I told you before that it shouldn't happen because I work for your father, but you obviously don't listen!" Troy turned back to pacing, "This is bad, this is very very bad." He whispered to himself.

"You had no problem with it when you were kissing me back or when your hands were up my shirt!" she yelled jumping down from the counter and advancing on him.

Troy spun around to face her, "It shouldn't have happened Gabriella! Why can't you comprehend that!?"

"It doesn't matter whether it shouldn't have. It did! We can't change that!" She said breathing hard.

Troy shook his head while walking backwards towards the doorway, "You shouldn't have kissed me. Your child like self-control just fucked everything up for me."

Gabriella's anger diminished as a look of confusion took over her face, "What are you talking about?"

Troy looked at her, "Just stay away." He said before disappearing down the hallway leaving Gabriella alone and confused.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews. Erin is working on the next chapter of My Guys...everything is still a little crazy at the moment for her, but she will be getting that posted as soon as she can. Anyways, we hope you liked this chapter. Leave us a review with your thoughts, because we love to read them. :)**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disguised Affection Chapter 14**

Chapter 15

Troy slammed his bedroom door before flopping down on his bed. How could I have let this happen? Freakin idiot! I just fell into the same trap that Anderson did. Troy angrily chucked his pillow across the room and lay back on the bed putting his forearm over his eyes as he groaned.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Tomas?" Michael called out.

"Yeah?" Troy sighed.

"Dinner's ready."

Troy groaned. "Okay, I'll be right down."

So much for my plan to stay away from Gabriella. 

Troy trudged down the stairs and into the dining room. He looked up and sighed as he noticed Gabriella sitting at the table. Her eyes looked slightly red, but her face was ice cold. Troy could tell she was pissed, and he couldn't blame her. They both had wanted that kiss to happen, and it was just as much his fault as it was hers. He knew he had reacted out of anger, placing all the blame on her when really he was just frustrated with himself. He had done the one thing he had promised himself he'd never do—he'd lost focus and gotten too close. The clearing of a throat brought Troy out of his thoughts.

"Take a seat Tomas." Troy turned towards Gregorio and nodded. Troy took his seat next to Gabriella who scooted her chair slightly away from him without making eye contact. Troy sighed and grabbed his plate, before filling it up with some chicken and rice.

Troy glanced to the side at Gabriella who was carelessly pushing the rice on her plate around with a fork. He saw the pitcher of iced tea to her left and quietly cleared his throat. "Pass the tea please." Troy asked looking at Gabriella who was seemingly paying him no attention.

Michael groaned and reached across the table picking up the tea.

"Here Tomas," he said handing the tea over.

"Thanks," Troy said, looking around at everyone else and noticing they had all stopped eating and were staring at him and Gabriella.

"No problem. Apparently that's too much effort for my sister," Michael joked.

Gabriella dropped her fork causing it to make a loud clattering noise. "Shut the hell up Michael!" She spat angrily.

Michael chuckled, amused at his sister's annoyance. "Whoa, Gabi. Calm down. I was just trying to break up some of the obvious tension between you two. What happened?"

"How about you mind your own business?"

"How about you try to have a better attitude and stop ignoring Tomas?"

"Sorry," Gabriella yelled before roughly pushing back her chair and standing up, looking down at Troy. "I was just trying to keep my child like self control from fucking everything up."

The six men at the dinner table watched as Gabriella pushed through the door leading into the dining room and headed upstairs.

Troy took a deep breath and returned his attention to his meal, well aware of the five pairs of eyes still watching him. Troy continued to eat, refusing to look up so that he wouldn't be prompted to share what had gone down between him and Gabriella. As he heard the clattering of dishes and small conversations being resumed, Troy looked up to see a smirking Raul looking right back at him. Troy rolled his eyes, inconspicuously sticking his middle finger up in the direction of Raul. Troy chuckled to himself as Raul slammed his fork down and excused himself from the table.

--

Troy took a deep breath and knocked on the office door.

"Come in." Troy stepped inside the office, gently shutting the door behind him.

Gregorio placed the paperwork he was reading on his desk before looking up at Troy. "Tomas," he greeted gesturing towards the chair as Troy took a seat. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir, I wanted to ask a favor." Gregorio nodded. "I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a few days off."

"What for?"

"I have some friends down in Jersey, and I'd like to go visit them for a few days, if that's alright with you."

"Certainly. You deserve a break. Raul can run things down at Sunset for a few days." Troy inconspicuously rolled his eyes at the thought of the havoc that Raul could cause in his absence. "Would you be willing to make a drop while you are down there though?"

Troy nodded. "Yes sir."

"Good," Gregorio replied, sorting through the papers on his desk before picking one up and handing it to Troy. "Here's all the information you need. The drop needs to be made on Saturday evening at the address there. Juan will have the drop ready, so you can pick it up tomorrow morning. Thank you Tomas for doing this."

"No thank you sir. I appreciate it." Troy stood up and shook Gregorio's hand before turning around and heading back up to his room to pack a few things. Troy knew he needed to get away to sort out all his thoughts. He had obviously hurt Gabriella, which was something he had not intended to do. He'd let his emotions get in the way of his job, and lost focus. Getting away for a few days was just what he needed.

--

Troy grabbed his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder. He walked down the stairs, grabbed hi s set of keys and headed towards the front door, hoping to avoid talking to anyone.

"Skipping out on the family again, huh? Where to this time?" Troy clenched his fists in anger, trying to take a deep breath and calm himself. He turned to see Raul leaning against the couch in the front room, smirking at him.

"Shut up Raul. That's none of your business." Troy told him before turning back around to head out the door.

Raul laughed and began walking towards Troy. "What is it Martinez? Need a break after your fight with your girlfriend? Are you going to find some other chick to hook up with to clear your head?"

In one swift movement Troy turned around and slammed his fist into Raul's jaw, sending him to the floor. "Try not to screw everything up while I'm gone Cruz."

Troy opened the front door and stepped out into the cool evening air to come face to face with Gabriella who appeared to be coming in from a jog. Troy looked into her eyes and could still see the pain they held. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Listen, Gabriella…," Gabriella shook her head and stepped past Troy, entering the house and shutting the door behind her.

Troy groaned in frustration. He walked over to the car and chucked his bag in the back seat before getting in and pulling out of the driveway, all the while thinking of how to fix the mess he'd gotten himself into.

--

"So what's the guy's name again?"

"Mike Barrera." Troy replied. He had just made the drop in Jersey at a warehouse downtown, and now he was at a payphone down the street from his hotel filling Chad in on a few developments.

"Alright, we will track the drugs from the location you provided. Any other updates for me?"

Troy quickly formed his thoughts, making sure he wouldn't let anything slip about what had happened with Gabriella. "Nothing too much at this point. As I said in the report I dropped off a few days ago, Raul has been stealing from the Montez family. I don't know to what extent, or too many details of it. Who knows what the situation will be like when I get back tomorrow afternoon."

"Well stay safe man. Thank you for the updates."

"No problem," Troy said hanging up the phone and exiting the phone booth.

Troy decided to take a detour through a park across the street. Troy stopped on a small bridge over a creek, leaning on the railing as he looked up at the sky. His thoughts immediately went to Gabriella. He had spent the last two days thinking things over. He needed to patch things up with Gabriella, because being at odds with her could put him, her, and his job in jeopardy. He also knew that it was essential for him to not let whatever feelings for Gabriella get in the way of his focus on the job. It cost the last guy his life. Troy knew if he wasn't careful, he could run into the same problem.

But as he was there thinking, he couldn't help but let his thoughts go towards his developing feelings for Gabriella. He'd be lying to himself if he said that he hadn't wanted that kiss to continue. The last few days he found his thoughts constantly wandering to what it would be like to kiss her again. He was aching for more of her. Everything about her was drawing him in—from her gorgeous looks to her often fiery attitude.

He had been spending so much time with Gabriella over the past few months, and he couldn't help but want to be around her more. Being out with her away from everything had helped him to forget all his troubles. For those few hours spent with her he was able to relax and get away from the constant demands this assignment had put on him. But that was where the problem was, and Troy knew it. When he was with her, he began to forget about his predicament. In those moments, he felt like he was a part of her life—a part that he knew he couldn't be involved in. He was there to bring her family down, not make himself a part of it.

Once again, Troy was pulled from his thoughts as his cell phone rang. He pulled it out, and seeing that it was Michael who was calling, Troy quickly flipped it open.

"Hello."

"Hey Tomas. How are things in Jersey?"

"Good. The drop went well. I'll be bringing the money by the place on Sunset tomorrow afternoon when I get home. How are things back there?" Troy asked curiously.

"Going fine. We have a big drop for you to take care of next week that we set up today. Joe says it will be you and Gabi going again, if she checks her attitude." Michael added.

Troy sighed. "Is she still pissed at me?"

"You and Raul." Troy felt his blood boil just hearing the mention of Raul's name. "She hasn't really been out of her room since last night. Something went down between her and Raul. He was in her room last night and they were yelling at each other. Then this morning, I saw he had her somewhat caged in between himself and the kitchen counter. But in typical Gabi fashion, she slapped him, and then shoved him out of the way." Michael laughed at his sister's attitude, but Troy was far from laughter. His mind was racing thinking of the danger Raul presented. He knew Gabriella was tough. But he knew Raul was interested in Gabriella and that it was possible Raul would do anything to get what he wanted, even if it meant doing something Gabriella didn't agree with.

"Tomas? You there?" Michael asked as Troy realized he had been quiet for a few minutes.

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Okay, well we will see you tomorrow afternoon. I'll let Papa know the drop went well."

"Thanks Michael."

Troy flipped closed his phone before continuing back to his hotel, his mind still racing with thoughts of Gabriella. He knew Michael didn't know much about Raul and his feelings for Gabriella. But from the moment Michael had mentioned what happened between Raul and Gabriella, Troy felt his emotions begin to boil up inside—feelings of anger, rage, and jealousy. The last one threw him at first, but he couldn't deny it. Sure he wanted to keep Gabriella safe from Raul, but he also couldn't stand the thought of any other guy, let alone Raul, touching her. Troy racked his brain trying to decide where all these feelings were coming from. Were they just feelings of attraction? Friendship? Or was it something even more?

Troy finally got back to his room, flopped on his bed and turned on the TV, catching up on the latest sports scores—desperate for some way to calm his racing thoughts.

Cursing as his phone rang again, Troy reached over to the bedside table and grabbed it. His eyebrow furrowed as he looked at the unfamiliar number.

"Hello."

"Martinez." The voice said menacingly causing Troy to mute the TV and sit up on the bed. "Would you like to explain to me why my shipment didn't arrive once again?"

Dammit! Troy whispered to himself, recognizing the voice and realizing that Raul had once again screwed up.

"I told you the other day that I was missing my 10 pounds of marijuana and I expected it by 5:00. Well, my shipment that you promised would be here by 5:00 last night did not arrive. As I said before, I am holding you personally responsible."

"Listen, Hernandez, I don't know what happened to your shipment. But I will be there by midnight tonight with your shipment, I promise." Troy said trying to appease the man.

"Martinez, I've heard so many promises from you over the past couple of days. So to ensure that I get what I asked for, I have a little leverage here." Troy's jaw dropped thinking of the important people in his life that Hernandez could have. "She's a pretty brunette…feisty too. I know she's important to you and your family there. So I suggest if you want to keep her safe, you bring me my shipment and fast."

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews. Erin is STILL working on the next chapter of My Guys...everything is still a little crazy at the moment for her, but she will be getting that posted as soon as she can. Anyways, we hope you liked this chapter. Leave us a review with your thoughts, because we love to read them. :)**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disguised Affection Chapter 16**

For the five hours it took to get back to the Montez estate, Troy couldn't think of anything except Gabriella's safety. He's wasn't thinking about how this could set the whole investigation back. He wasn't thinking of contacting Chad and filling everyone in on what was going on. No, all he was thinking of was Gabriella and how if anything happened to her, he would kill whoever had laid a hand on her. He wasn't thinking with his mind. He was thinking with his heart.

Troy felt a small sense of relief as he pulled into the parking lot at Sunset. Once he parked the car he ran inside and headed straight for the back and made a beeline for his office. Troy opened the door and went for the safe behind the desk. He spun the combination as quickly as possible and opened the door to grab his extra gun. After closing it and heading to the packing room he saw Raul casually sitting in a chair looking over everything. Fury encased Troy as walked over there and kicked Raul out of the chair.

"What the fuck?!" Raul yelled pushing himself off the floor.

Troy kicked him back down before swiftly kicking him in the ribs and bending down to Raul's line sight. "Now try and tell me that you aren't stealing the money!" Troy hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Raul coughed out holding his ribs.

"Wrong answer!" Troy pulled Raul up from the floor and punched him in the face causing him to fall on the floor again.

"Want another try?" Troy spat out before turning to the workers, "Ten pounds of marijuana packed and ready to go….NOW!" he yelled. Troy felt a fist collide with his cheek that caused him to stumble, he looked over to see Raul standing with a smirk on his face. Troy grabbed Raul by the collar of his shirt and shoved him into an office nearby.

After closing the door, Troy punched Raul in the face again causing him to fall. "Do you realize what you've done!?" Troy yelled. "what you've put in jeopardy? They have her! They have her and plan to hurt her because you didn't do your fucking job!"

Troy kicked Raul in his side, and then flipped him onto his back with his foot. "If something happens to her, I swear to you that you would rather be dead than face me," Troy said, his foot digging into Raul's throat.

Troy kicked him once more, walked over and opened the door before grabbing the bag that had been packed. He turned back to see Raul slowly getting up from the floor in the office and stumbling into the packing room. "What makes you think I'm the guilty one Martinez? You may be surprised to find out Gabriella isn't so innocent..." Troy felt his blood boil at Raul insinuation.

"What?" Troy asked in a forced voice.

"Seems you don't know her like you thought. I must say she's a piece of work." Raul said licking his lips. Troy saw red at the thought of him touching her. Troy brought the gun up and shot him in the arm making him fall to the ground holding his arm yelling in pain.

Troy walked over to him, pushing his foot into Raul's arm, right above his wound. "Stay the hell away from Gabriella!" Troy ignored his cries as Raul tried to clutch his arm. Troy released his foot and stepped over him before he walked out of Sunset to get Gabriella.

--

The streets were completely deserted as Troy parked a few blocks down from the warehouse where Hernandez and his men ran their operation. After checking his gun to make sure it was loaded, Troy stepped out of his car, sticking the gun in his waistband and covering it with his shirt.

He grabbed the bag from the front seat walked around to the trunk, and threw the bag full of the drugs inside before sneaking off towards the warehouse. Troy walked towards a window on the side of the building. Peering inside, he quickly scoped out the situation. The building was fairly small. There were a few lights on revealing two cars parked inside. Two overweight men were sitting on some couches against the wall, smoking cigarettes watching a small TV in the corner, guns visible in the holsters on their hips.

Troy spotted a door that was cracked open leading to the back corner room of the warehouse. Two other men were positioned outside the door, both leaning against the wall, guns visible. Sneaking around to the back side of the building, Troy spotted another small window that was cracked open. Troy knelt below the window, hearing voices inside.

"Your family certainly knows how to screw things up. You better hope that idiot Martinez gets here soon." Troy heard Hernandez snarl, taking a deep breath to keep himself from running in there too quickly.

"You better hope Tomas doesn't beat the shit out of you. You really shouldn't mess with our family." Troy smirked, hearing Gabriella defend him.

"Your family shouldn't mess with me sweetheart."

"Don't call me sweetheart, asshole."

Troy heard Hernandez give a hearty laugh. "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere. I need to go see if pretty boy showed up."

Troy slowly raised himself up off the ground hearing the door close. Looking inside, he saw a small office. There was a desk in the corner, with a TV in the opposite corner. Papers were spread out over the desk, with a small laptop on top and one desk lamp.

As Troy moved his eyes to the far corner of the room, he spotted Gabriella—her arms tied behind the back of the chair, her eyes focused on the ground as she tried to wiggle out of the ropes that bound her hands together.

"Hey!" Troy whispered, getting her attention, cursing that the window was too small to climb through.

"Tomas!" Troy felt his jaw drop seeing a nasty bruise forming on the side of her head. "It's not that bad. Idiots decided to knock me out when I was walking out to my car on campus. What the hell are you doing out there?"

"Scoping things out. I'm not just gonna walk in here without knowing what I'm getting myself into."

"Well there are five of them. Most of them are idiots. They all have guns, but you could probably distract the two fat lazy ones on the couches with a box of doughnuts." Troy laughed quietly, smiling as Gabriella grinned at her statement. "Did you bring the stuff?"

"Yeah, it's in the car, parked a few blocks away. I'm still deciding if I'm gonna give them the stuff or if we should just take them all out."

"Take the bastards out. Hernandez has been giving our family problems for awhile." Gabriella informed him, still trying to wiggle out of the ropes.

Troy winced, catching sight of the large bruise and knot on the side of her head. "Did they hurt you at all besides when they knocked you out?"

Gabriella looked up and Troy stared into her eyes, watching as she shook her head slightly. "Nah. They keep threatening things, but nothing else has happened yet."

Troy ducked hearing Hernandez' voice get louder. "Joe, keep an eye out. Martinez should be here any minute. Let me know when he gets here, and make sure he's alone before you send him in."

"Miss me?" Troy rolled his eyes hearing Hernandez shut the office door.

"Of course, I was counting down the seconds, anticipating your return." Troy felt a smile tug on his face, hearing her sarcastic tone.

"You know you want me sweetheart. Just say the word." Troy clenched his fists and moved to the opposite side of the window so he could see the two better, and stay hidden.

His jaw tightened in anger, seeing Hernandez smirk at Gabriella, leaning close. He calmed a little, seeing Gabriella hold her own, spitting at Hernandez.

"As I said before, don't call me sweetheart."

Troy watched Hernandez take his hand and wipe off his cheek, his face bright red. Troy's breath caught in his throat, anger erupting, seeing Hernandez smack Gabriella on the cheek before grabbing her by the hair on the back of her head.

"Listen here. Your family may be a big presence in this business, and they may claim to run things around here, but I won't hesitate to take you out. Got it?"

Troy decided he'd had enough. That was where he drew the line. He glanced inside one more time and saw Gabriella wince once Hernandez turn to walk towards his desk. Quickly and quietly, he went around the corner, hiding behind a nearby building.

He flipped open his phone, deciding to call in some help.

"Hello?"

"Chad, it's me. Listen man, I need some help. I'm down here at Hernandez' warehouse."

"The same guy that had the drop a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah, Raul screwed it up again. I got a call a few hours ago, and he has Gabriella. I've been scoping the place out. There are five of them total. Now I'd call Michael and them for back-up, but I think this is a good opportunity for us. We can take a few of them out and get some information about their operations and other clients. He's got some connections as you know. You need to hurry though. He's got Gabriella tied up, and with her attitude, who knows how long before he snaps."

Troy listened impatiently, knowing Chad needed to make a quick decision. He wouldn't have time to run this by the chief, and Chad and Troy could both get into trouble for that.

"Okay man. I'll be there in five minutes. Where do I meet you?"

"My car is parked on the corner of Third and Lincoln. I'll meet you there."

Troy hung up, ducking behind the building and running towards his car. True to his word, Chad met him five minutes later. Troy quickly filled him in on the placement of the men inside while the two planned out their strategy.

"So we need to take out the two guys in the front room, which should be easy." Troy laughed to himself, remembering Gabriella's comment from before. "There are two guys stationed outside the office door, and then Hernandez and Gabriella are inside. I'll go in to take care of Hernandez and get Gabriella out.

"Troy listen. We need Hernandez for questioning. So keep him alive alright?"

Troy groaned. He wanted Hernandez dead for the pain he'd caused Gabriella. But seeing the look in Chad's eyes, he knew there wouldn't be any negotiating. "Got it. You ready?" Troy put an extra cartridge in his pocket, and cocked his gun.

Chad nodded, cocking his gun as well. "Let's go."

Troy led the way, the two moving quickly but inconspicuously along the back alley behind the buildings. Reaching the warehouse, Troy darted down the side of the building where they would enter.

Troy took a deep breath, looking back at Chad who nodded. Troy kicked open the door, moving to one side and ducking behind the door with Chad on the opposite side. Shots were fired towards them, Troy quickly fired back, hearing a body hit the floor. Seeing Chad fire at another guy and hearing a body hit the floor, Troy knew there were only the two guys left outside the office.

His eye caught one of the men, ducking behind a desk before standing up, firing three shots towards Troy that hit the door frame.

"That was cover fire. The other guy just ran to that corner." Chad told Troy, pointing to where the cars were.

Troy fired at the guy behind the desk once, moving back behind the doorframe. Hearing the guy fire again, Troy quickly raised his gun, firing two shots and taking the guy out.

"Go man! Before Hernandez runs. I got this." Chad nodded towards the office door before shooting a few cover shots as Troy entered the warehouse, scrambling towards the office door. Hearing another shot ring out and a body hit the floor, Troy turned to see the last of Hernandez' men down. Troy kicked open the office door, coming face to face with Hernandez who had a gun to Gabriella's head.

"Martinez, don't take a step closer or I blow her brains out."

Troy kept his gun raised, pointed right at Hernandez. "Your men are all down. It's just me and you now. I suggest you let Gabriella go." Troy looked towards Gabriella, nodding his head and giving her a confident look.

"Why would I do that Martinez?" Hernandez took a hold of Gabriella's hair, pulling her head harshly to the side. "You got a thing for her? Wouldn't blame you. She's quite a little beauty," he said, running his finger down the side of her face while Gabriella grimaced. "Fiesty too. I like that."

"Let her go, and I may let you live." Troy threatened, much to Hernandez' amusement as he chuckled heartily.

"You don't have it in you pretty boy."

Troy immediately pulled the trigger, hitting Hernandez' left arm. The moment Hernandez removed the gun from Gabriella's head, using that hand to grip at his injured shoulder, Troy shot him again in the opposite arm. Hernandez screamed out in pain. "Guess you thought wrong, Hernandez."

Troy moved forward, kicking Hernandez to the ground and knocking him out before kicking the gun away. Once he saw his head drift to the side, Troy went over to Gabriella, kneeling down to untie her hands.

"You okay?" Troy asked sincerely, moving quickly and gently to let her hands free.

"Yeah," Gabriella grimaced slightly, bringing her hands in front of her, rubbing them gently. "I'm okay. Thanks."

Troy smiled, standing up and coming around to the front of her chair. He reached out and gently touched just below her bruise, rubbing his thumb lightly over it. "We better get some ice on this. Come on," Troy held out his hand, smiling when Gabriella gently placed her hand inside his.

Helping her stand up, Troy took her arm, wrapping it around his neck before placing his own around her waist. "Tomas, I'm okay."

Troy grinned down at her. "Stop trying to be so tough Gabi." Troy began to walk, pulling her with him out the door. Walking out of the office, he didn't see Chad, but knew he was hidden somewhere, trying to help Troy maintain his cover with the Montez family.

Troy led Gabriella outside, pulling a folding chair from inside the warehouse and sitting it just outside the door. "Sit tight here. I'll be right back."

Gabriella nodded, gently rubbing her head. Troy helped her sit down and patted her shoulder gently before ducking back inside.

"Hey man." Troy greeted Chad, as he stepped through the office door, seeing Chad quickly gathering papers.

Troy knelt beside a handcuffed, unconscious Hernandez, feeling his pulse. "He needs medical attention. Otherwise he'll be no use to us."

"They're on their way. I just called a few minutes ago. Chief is pissed we didn't advise him of this earlier, but screw him. This stuff is gonna really help us out," Chad commented, holding up the papers. "I'll make copies of all of this when I get back to my office and drop it off to you soon to hand over to Gregorio. You think you can stay clear of the Montez estate for the night so we have time to get you these papers?"

Troy nodded. "I'll tell them that Gabriella and I are staying at a motel tonight and laying low in case Hernandez has more back-up. I need to take a look at her injuries anyways. She may have had a concussion since she was knocked out."

"Okay man, be safe. I'll contact you early tomorrow and drop off all of this."

"Thanks Chad. I owe you." Troy patted Chad on the back, giving him a quick hug before heading back out to Gabriella.

Troy stepped outside, taken back by the pissed off look in Gabriella's eyes.

"You ready?"

"Who the hell were you talking to in there Tomas?"

Troy felt his breath hitch in his throat. He needed to think quickly. This could cost him. "I called in some help."

"I'm not stupid Tomas. I know that's not anyone from our family."

"Gabriella, don't worry about it."

"Shut up Tomas! Tell me what's going on right now. Who the hell is Chad?"

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Hey everyone! We're sorry we didn't update on Saturday. Corri was on vacation last week with no real internet access. Anyways, thanks so much for the reviews last chapter! We really appreciate it, and we love hearing your thoughts so keep them coming. And don't worry. Erin hasn't forgotten about MG. Things are still sort of crazy for her but as soon as she can, she will post the next chapter of that. **


	18. Chapter 18

**Disguised Affection Chapter 17**

Troy pulled up to the motel and got out of the car. Gabriella had yet to say a word to him after he forcefully put her in the back seat. His mind was reeling of believable lies to tell her, but some part of him didn't want to lie to her, well not anymore. He got the room key from the tenant at the desk and walked back to the car and opened the door for Gabriella. When she refused to move he sighed in frustration.

"Gabriella come on!"

"Not until you tell me!" She spat back turning to face him.

"Fine I can get you out of the car the same damn way I put you in." he said with his frustration getting the better of him.

Gabriella scoffed and got out of the car and bumped his shoulder as hard as she could. After she was behind him he rubbed his shoulder with a pained face.

"Damn." He muttered to himself while rubbing it.

"TOMAS! My _child like_ self control is wearing thin! Open the damn door, since you forced me out of the car." She snipped.

Troy rolled his eyes but closed the car door and walked to where she was standing and unlocked the motel room door for her.

"There." He said softly in hopes that it would douse the fire that was about to erupt.

He followed after her and closed the door, but when he turned around he saw the one sight that he never wanted to see. Gabriella stood there with her hip popped and her hands on her hips.

"oh shit." He cursed to himself. "Listen, Gabi. I know you're confused and upset but," Troy began softly, trying to keep her from blowing up at him.

"LISTEN!?" Gabriella interrupted. 'Well that didn't work,' Troy thought. "Listen!? No you listen Tomas. I want to know who you were talking to in there, and I want to know now."

Troy sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Gabi, Chad is just someone I know. It's better for you if you don't know all the details."

"Better for me?! Since when do you care what's best for me?" Gabriella asked, getting in his face, her eyes dark and her cheeks flushed in anger.

"Are you kidding me? I just risked my own life busting in there to get you out. I've saved your life a few times these past months. Of course I care for what's best for you." Troy exclaimed.

"Liar!"

Troy suppressed his boiling anger, not wanting to blow up at her. "I'll be back once you decide to cool off." Troy picked up his jacket and headed towards the door.

"Oh, sure. Just leave like you always do. That's your solution." Gabriella yelled as he started to open the door.

Troy slammed the door and turned to face her, "Like I always do?" he asked incredulously, "You don't know a damn thing about me Gabriella, so don't even start talking like you do."

"You left your family to come here. Hell, you probably left Angela too. You just leave instead of working out the problems you have with the people you claim to care about."

Troy's body became rigid, "Don't." he said in a demanding tone.

"Angela is probably you're daughter and you left her along with her mother! You're probably another one of those workaholic dad's that doesn't give a damn as long as you provide a roof, clothes and food."

"Gabriella stop." He said in a low tone.

"You left your daughter alone and in the dust. You don't give a damn, just like you don't give a damn about me."

Troy felt his control slip through his fingers, "SHUT THE FUCK UP GABRIELLA! You don't know a damn thing. Angela is not my daughter! Her mother was killed in a car accident when she was 3 years old and after her father had a total breakdown I took her in. I, me, took her in for a year so that she would have a steady environment to grow up in until her dad got things together. That little girl means the world to me and I would do anything and everything for her so just shut the fuck up."

Gabriella stood there stunned unable to move or speak after Troy's outburst. "I-i-I I'm so sor-"

"Sorry? Yeah I figured. Maybe next time you'll think twice before making assumptions about something you know nothing about."

Troy looked up to see Gabriella looking down at the ground, still looking sorrowful. "Wait," Gabriella said, looking into Troy's eyes. "You told me Angela was your brother's daughter and that he died after getting shot." Troy suddenly felt panicked and angry with himself, unsure of how he was going to step out of this one. "Stop lying to me Tomas! Tell me the truth now."

Troy felt his phone buzz in his pocket and realized Chad was calling to drop off the papers from earlier. Realizing this was an opportune way to get out of the present conversation, Troy took advantage. "Stay here and don't get into trouble. I'll be back in an hour." Gabriella stepped towards him grabbing his upper arm. "Tomas!" she threatened as his hand grabbed the door knob, "Don't you dare leave!" Troy detached her grip on his arm and turned to her. "I'll be back in a bit, don't leave." He said before turning and walking out the door and going to the car.

"TOMAS!" he heard her yell as he pulled away and merged onto the highway and decided that he had no choice but to tell Chad what had happened because for the first time in his career Troy had gotten himself into a bind and he no idea how to redeem himself.

Troy slammed his hand down on the wheel, cursing himself for slipping up like that. Hearing his phone buzz, he realized he forgot to call Chad back.

"Hello," he greeted Chad, flipping open his phone.

"Hey man. I have the papers. Where do you want to meet? There's that storage unit site off of East and 12th street. Does that work for you?"

"Sure, see you then." Troy agreed, shutting his phone and tossing it on the passenger seat. His thoughts immediately returned to Gabriella, and the fight they'd just had. He had worked so hard to get close with the Montez family and earn their trust, and now in one night, his control was rapidly slipping out of his grasp. All because of one girl, everything had turned upside down in a moment.

He thought back to earlier that night—how all he had cared about was Gabriella's safety. He knew that he had fallen for Gabriella. There was no doubt about it now. He would give up his life to ensure her safety. Looking into her eyes in the motel, he knew he couldn't lie to her anymore. He saw her pleading look right before he left, and as much as he wanted to spill everything in that moment, he knew he needed to walk away and get a grip on things.

If he was going to tell her the truth, he needed to make sure it was well thought out, and not some spur of the moment idea. He was pretty certain that Gabriella wouldn't blow his cover. From their previous conversations, he knew she wanted out, and maybe this would now provide a perfect opportunity for that.

Pulling up to the storage unit, Troy saw Chad's car already parked outside. Troy took a deep breath, quickly trying to formulate what he'd say to Chad. Chad was not only his best friend. Chad was someone whose advice he greatly admired. He knew he could trust Chad, and at the moment, he needed his best friend to help him get out of the dire situation he'd gotten himself into.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Hey everyone! We're sorry we didn't update on Saturday. Erin was sick and she couldn't even get out of bed and since we have fallen a bit behind on writing ch's before posting them we were in a bind. i hope you all enjoy and the next ch should still be posted on sat. also we hope that this finally takes care of the one question that was always asked that drove us literally insane when it was asked over and over. Please be patient and all information will come in due time. enjoy.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disguised Affection Chapter 18**

Troy jumped out of his car and walked down the aisle to the building where he would meet Chad. Knocking twice on the door, he waited until it opened slightly before pushing it up, walking in and pulling it shut again.

He turned around, his eyes scanning over the small room which held a small file cabinet that was a few feet high, a single desk pushed up against the wall, a stack of cardboard boxes in the back corner, and a folding chair leaning up against the wall opposite of where Chad was standing.

"Hey," Troy greeted, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and index finger.

"Long night huh?" Chad asked, grabbing a file folder off of the desk and handing it over to Troy.

Troy grabbed the folder. "You could say that. How'd things go?" Troy asked, holding up the folder.

"Good. We got everything copied, and some analysts are reviewing it back at the office. Chief is pissed that we didn't consult him on this, but he'll get over it. How about you? Did Gabriella get hurt?"

"Just a few small cuts and bruises. Nothing major. Thankfully," Troy mumbled the last part quietly under his breath, which didn't go unnoticed by Chad.

"What's up?" Chad asked. Troy looked up, seeing that Chad recognized something was really bothering him.

Troy sighed, his anxiety evident. "Gabriella heard me mention your name."

"When?"

"Back at the warehouse, when I ran back in to meet up with you. She was sitting outside. I don't know how much of our conversation she heard, but she definitely heard your name."

"Damn," Chad muttered under his breath. "What did you tell her?"

"Nothing yet." Troy groaned, grabbing the folding chair, flipping it around to sit backwards in it, his arms folded over the back of it. "She was yelling at me, demanding I tell her the truth. What am I supposed to say?"

"Make up some story. Say you knew you needed some help, and I used to work with you and your brother."

"Yeah I guess that could work." Taking a deep breath, Troy shifted his gaze to the corner of the room. "I also screwed up and told her the truth about Angie."

"What!? How did that happen?" Chad asked, worry visible on his features.

"She was yelling at me, saying that Angie's my daughter. Said I left her and her mother and all this other crap. I let it slip that Angie's mom was killed and Jason had a breakdown and that I took Angie in for a year."

"Troy, you just put Angie's life at risk! Who knows what Gabriella will do with that information?" Chad exclaimed, closing his eyes and rubbing them in frustration.

"Chad, she's not going to say anything."

"How do you know Troy?"

"First, all she knows is that I lied when I told her the story of Angela being my niece. She doesn't know Angie really exists. And secondly, if I can talk to her about it and she finds out the truth, I don't think she would put a little girl's life at risk. She's more pissed at me for lying than anything."

Chad sighed. "Well if she says anything to any of her family, they could find out the truth which could put both you and Angie at risk."

"I know that could happen, but Chad, you know I'd never purposely put Angie's life at risk. I'll do anything to keep that little girl safe." Troy said, the look in his eyes assuring Chad of his sincerity.

"I know that Troy. But maybe instead of telling her about who Angie really is, you need to come up with some story…some reason why you lied about her being your niece." Chad stated calmly, obviously still worried about the repercussions of Troy's slip up, but understanding why Troy slipped up.

Troy sighed, rubbing his brow. All he could think of was how he didn't want to lie to Gabriella anymore. He was torn. Either he lied to her again and made certain his job and operation wouldn't be compromised and that there would be no possibility of Gabriella finding out about Angie, or he told her the truth in the hopes that she wouldn't blow his cover which could ultimately cost his life and jeopardize the safety of his friends and family.

"Troy."

His commitment to the job was tugging him one way, while his growing feelings for Gabriella were pulling him in the opposite direction.

"Troy."

He knew if he ever wanted to be with Gabriella past this job, he needed to be honest with her. But he also knew that if he wanted to take down the Montez family and keep his job, he needed to remain undercover. The question was could he do both? Be honest with her and have her keep his secret.

"TROY!" Troy was shook from his train of thought, looking up to see Chad staring at him, eyebrows raised.

"Dude, I've been trying to get your attention for a few minutes now. You okay?"

Troy rubbed the back of his neck, his nerves rising. If it was anyone else, he'd keep his mouth shut. But this was Chad, his best friend, and the one person he knew he could trust.

"Chad, I need to talk with you off the record. I really need some advice, and I need you to keep this between us." Chad nodded. "No one can find out." Troy pushed, trying to convey with his eyes the seriousness of the situation.

"I got it Troy. Between us. What's up?"

_Here goes nothing_, Troy thought, running his hand through his hair.

"I realized the last few days that I'm falling for Gabi." Chad's eyes widened, prompting Troy to continue. "I know. I know! Look, I know this can compromise the operation even more, but I can't help it. I have feelings for her which is making this all so much worse."

"Is there something going on between you two?"

"Yes and no." By Chad's confused look, Troy knew he needed an explanation. "We're not in a relationship at all. But I know we both have feelings for each other. And there have been a few times we've both acted on those feelings."

"Troy, you know what happened to Anderson."

"I know!" Troy groaned. "But Anderson was an idiot. He was stupid enough to slip up multiple times, contacting his handler from the Montez estate and out on missions. He got followed by the Montez family to a meet because of that. That's what cost him his life."

"Yeah, but it was because of Gabriella that he lost that focus. Troy you assured me before this all happened that you wouldn't be like Anderson."

"And I'm not." Troy insisted, growing frustrated. "I'm not going to be stupid enough to slip up in front of them. I know I did in front of Gabi, but I let my guard down a little in front of her, because I know I can trust her."

"I don't know. Look Troy, like tonight. I know you wanted to ensure her safety, but now she knows about me. If you don't handle this properly, you could be next. You need to think about that. Put your feelings aside. Think about your friends and family. Think about Angie. You know she can't lose you." Chad persisted, trying to get through to him.

Troy felt a pang in his heart at the mention of Angie's safety once again. "We've been over this Chad! I can't lose Angie. But Chad, I can't lose Gabriella either."

"And that's why you called me in tonight for backup." Chad said, more to himself as a realization.

"Exactly." Troy ran his hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. "I've gotten close to her. Maybe too close. But, I don't want to lie to her anymore. Almost everything I have said to her is a lie. She hardly knows the real me."

"But that's the point. She doesn't know you. Whatever feelings she has are for Tomas Martinez. Does she have any for you?"

"Well I'm not going to find out if I keep lying to her."

"Look Troy. We both know she's feisty. Say you tell her the truth. How do you know she's not going to get angry at you and tell her family what she knows?"

"She could," Troy admitted. "But I highly doubt she will. From all the times I have talked with her, I feel like I can trust her with this. She wants out, and if she hears me out, I can use this to help her get out. We both know she can get a lighter sentence if she helps us take them down."

"Do you think she would betray her family like that?" Chad asked skeptically.

"I know she cares for her family, and if we can take them out in a way that spares their lives, I know she'd want that. With her help, we have a better chance of doing that. We both know she's tried to kill herself multiple times. She sees her only way out as dying, but she's told me before, if she knew another way out, she'd take it in a heartbeat. This is her other way."

Chad sighed, taking a seat on the file cabinet next to him. "Troy, I trust you and your judgment. And off the record, as crazy as this situation is, if you believe she can be an asset here and won't blow your cover, I say take it. But, I also need to tell you that this is a big risk and goes against protocol. It could put your life in danger. Having said that though, you know Gabriella better than any of us, maybe even better than her family. So if you think you can trust her, I say go for it."

"Thanks Chad," Troy said, relieved to receive the advice that supported his own view on this situation.

"Just be safe man," Chad advised, walking over and patting him on the shoulder. "If something happened, you'd be missed." Troy nodded, standing up. "Granted, it would just be Angie that would miss you, but still."

Chad laughed as Troy shoved him lightly before chuckling himself.

"Thanks again man. And I'll be safe. I have to get back." Troy said, walking towards the door.

Chad walked over as well, helping to slide the door up. "Keep me posted on what happens Troy."

"I will." Troy said before slipping out and heading back towards his car.

As Troy drove back to the motel, he kept thinking of what he was going to say to Gabriella. He knew he needed to clear things up about Angie, and he was determined to tell her the truth. If the two of them had any shot, he knew they had to be honest and learn to trust each other. And with her on his side, they'd have another inside person to help bring down the Montez family more quickly. Suddenly, all Troy could think of was finishing this job—finally getting back to his friends and family, living in his own place, never having to wear the stupid brown contacts again, getting his hair color back, seeing Angie, having a shot with Gabriella—ultimately becoming Troy Bolton once again.

Pulling up to the motel room, he stuffed the file folder with the papers in the back seat before walking up to the door. He took a deep breath before unlocking the door and pushing it open only to come face-to-face with an angry looking Gabriella who was sitting on the bed with her arms folded.

"Before you say anything, I know you need an explanation." Troy took a deep breath, realizing everything was riding on this moment. "Here it is."

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews last chapter. Another cliffhanger this time. We hope you liked this chapter though. Let us know what you thought, cause we love to read your reviews. **


	20. Chapter 20

**Disguised Affection Chapter 19**

_Pulling up to the motel room, he stuffed the file folder with the papers in the back seat before walking up to the door. He took a deep breath before unlocking the door and pushing it open only to come face-to-face with an angry looking Gabriella who was sitting on the bed with her arms folded._

_"Before you say anything, I know you need an explanation." Troy took a deep breath, realizing everything was riding on this moment. "Here it is."_

Before he could say anything else Gabriella jumped up from her spot on the bed and marched over to him, "Damn right I need an explanation!" she yelled, "I hear you talking to some guy and you refuse to tell me anything about him, THEN you bring me here to this dump where I find out you lied to me about your past. Then you just take off and tell me I can't leave. Yeah I think _that_ deserves an explanation!"

Troy placed his hands on her shoulders and when she roughly pushed them off, he grabbed her wrists, "Hey! If you want me to explain you're going to have to calm down!"

"Fuck you!" she attempted to smack him but Troy dodged her hand and looked back at her with a hard glare. He grabbed her around the waist, tossing her over his shoulder much to her protest before dropping her down onto the bed. Troy placed his hands back on her shoulders when she attempted to jump up off the bed.

"Listen, we aren't going to get anywhere if you keep yelling at me. So sit down, be quiet, and let me explain." Troy felt her tense shoulders relax slightly. Looking up at her, he saw her roll her eyes before nodding her head. Troy took a deep breath and pulled up a chair he'd taken from a small table in the corner of the room.

"Gabi, I need you to hear me out before you jump to any conclusions alright?" Seeing her slight nod, he continued. "I'm not exactly who you think I am. The guy you heard me talking to tonight...I work with him."

"Work with him how?" she questioned skeptically.

Chad's suggestion from earlier in the evening popped into his head. Troy knew he could easily make up some story at this point. Closing his eyes and hoping that his gut instinct that he could trust her was correct, he kept going.

"He's one of my partners…with the FBI." He said holding his breath waiting for her explosion.

"Excuse me?" she asked with an attitude.

"I've been undercover for the last three and a half months. I've been working with the FBI on the drug trafficking here in the northeast. I was assigned to infiltrate your family and take down the operations from the inside."

Gabriella's face hardened, "So you used me? You fucked with my heart to get ahead in your job!"

"What!? No!"

"So I'm guessing fucking Gregorio's daughter was on your agenda too." Gabriella said, jumping up off of the bed, roughly pushing Troy's shoulder as she brushed past.

Troy leapt up out of his chair, spinning around to face her. "You weren't even a part of the plan Gabriella. You were the one part of the assignment I wasn't ready for. I fucked up and I fucked up big time, alright! Fucking you was nowhere in the assignment. I was supposed to stay away from you!"

"Then what the hell was I in this 'assignment'?" she demanded.

Troy ran his hand roughly through his hair. "You ended up being the reason I lost focus. I knew that you were a part of this family coming into this Gabriella. But all the files said you were rarely involved with the family business since you went to college. I didn't know I'd be working with you as much as I have…"

"Damnit, I'm not as innocent as everyone seems to think. I'm just as much a part of the family business as everyone else I just don't flaunt it. I've done my fair share of bad things Tomas. I'm sorry that I was such an inconvenience to your assignment or whatever you call it."

"An inconvenience to the assignment yes, but for my own selfishness I wouldn't change that Gabriella!" Troy nervously fidgeted with his hands, looking down at the ugly carpet pattern. "When you and I started to get closer, they told me to remain focused and not get too close to you." Troy boldly looked up at her. "But it seems I did the exact opposite."

"Tomas you're trying to take down my family! After what you just told me how can you expect me to run to you with open arms? I may not like what my family does Tomas, but I hate you for what you're doing to them…to me. I'm not going to let you do this!"

She brushed past Troy and made her way to the door but Troy quickly jumped in front of her, "Everything I told you has to stay with you!"

"What bullshit! I'm not going to let you take down my family Tomas!" Troy grabbed her shoulder.

"If I think you're going to compromise this assignment I'm going to take you in Gabriella. I'll have you arrested, not because I want to, but because it's the only way to insure my safety."

"You asshole!" She twisted trying to get out of his grip and hitting him anywhere she could reach. She was trying everything in her power to get away from him.

"Look Gabriella!"He kept his grip on her trying to calm her down, "LISTEN TO ME!" he exploded. Gabriella stopped immediately and stared at him angrily, "You said that if you could find a way out of this life that you would take it no matter what it was. This is your ticket Gabriella, this is your way out. If you help me I can get you immunity to all charges and you can start fresh."

"I told you that when I thought you were one of us Tomas, not when you were a fucking cop! I trusted you! I told you things that nobody else knew and you are using them against me to try and help you bring down my family!"

"I'm trying to give you what you want Gabriella!"

"You don't know what the hell I want Tomas." She spat angrily.

"I know that you don't want this lifestyle Gabriella or you wouldn't be trying to get yourself killed all the goddamn time!"

"Why do you give a shit? I don't mean a damn thing to you anyways."

"That's where you're wrong. You mean everything to me. I came back FOR you, I called in back up to make sure I got YOU out safe...FOR you. Since that kiss, I've been doing everything for YOU!"

"For me huh? Well, I know for damn sure you didn't leave the last few days for me. Cause I sure as hell didn't want you to leave Tomas. You kissed me and then blamed it all on me like it was my fault. You kissed me damnit!"

"I'm sorry okay? I never meant to get you caught up in all this. I wasn't supposed to fall for you, but I have and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it."

"How do I know you aren't lying about all this? For all I know this could just be some way for you to get me to help you."

"I may have lied about a lot of things Gabriella, but the way I feel about you…wasn't one of them." Gabriella looked up at him with fire still in her eyes, but Troy was thankful to see that the fire had died down a little bit, being replaced with some emotion he couldn't quite pinpoint. "I need to know your choice Gabriella. I need to know if you want out."

Troy watched as she walked back towards the bed, laying down on it, staring up at the ceiling. Troy solemnly walked back over, taking a seat in the chair. After a few minutes of silence, Troy's heart and mind was racing. He needed an answer. "Gabriella?" Troy watched as Gabriella blinked a few tears back, before finally speaking up.

"I know you need an answer Tomas." Troy cringed inwardly hearing her use his alias, knowing she still didn't know the half of all the secrets he had from her, "but I just don't have one to give you. I won't tell them, but I just need time. You're right. I do want out. But right now, I don't know if I can trust you enough to be the one to help me out." She sighed as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. Troy reached up to brush it away but she pulled back.

"I think you should go see if they have another room." Her voice laced with turmoil, before she rolled onto her side facing away from Troy.

Troy sighed and stood up, placing the chair back by the table. "I'm not going to walk all the way over there at 2:30 in the morning," Troy said, glancing at the clock.

"Fine," Gabriella said, rolling over to look at Troy, the fire back in her eyes. "Sleep in the bathroom then."

Troy glanced back at the bathroom disgustedly. "In the bathroom?"

"Yeah, I'm sure a tough FBI guy like you can handle it," Gabriella said, bitterness seeping through her voice. "It's either that, or the table chair in the corner there. But I'm sure you prefer actually laying down."

"Oh yeah," Troy rolled his eyes sarcastically. "The bathtub would be so much more comfortable."

"Here!" Troy caught the pillow Gabriella roughly threw at him. "Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite."

Troy rolled his eyes at her sickly sweet tone before spinning around towards the bathroom. "I liked it better when you weren't talking to me," he mumbled under his breath as he pushed open the bathroom door.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Wow 47 reviews last chapter! That means so much. Thanks to everyone who reviewed and thanks to everyone who reads this story. We really appreciate it. We hope you liked this chapter as much as the last one. Let us know what you thought. :) **


	21. Chapter 21

**Disguised Affection Chapter 20**

Troy woke up, feeling something crawl across his foot. After shaking his foot to no avail, he cracked open his eye and peered down at his foot. Seeing the large cockroach moving across his foot, Troy kicked his foot up in the air and attempted to roll onto his side, only to bang his head on a hard surface. Groaning, he pushed himself up out of the tub, cursing Gabriella for making him sleep there before grabbing his shoe and killing the offending bug.

Still rubbing his throbbing head, Troy picked up his jeans that were sitting on the edge of the tub and slipped them on over his green plaid boxers. After putting on his white v-neck shirt, Troy opened the bathroom door quietly, his eyes scanning the room before landing on a sleeping Gabriella.

He still couldn't believe everything that had happened. Never had he thought he would be telling Gabriella the truth, trying to get her to help him take down the Montez family from the inside. And now, with the two of them headed back to the Montez estate, he had no idea what she was going to do. Would she stay quiet and not blow his cover? Would she wake up and decide she wanted to help him out? How long would it take for her to make her decision? Troy wondered, watching as she stirred slightly.

Troy stepped cautiously closer to the bed, not wanting her to angrily flip out on him. He watched as she rubbed her eyes tiredly before sitting up against the headrest.

"What time is it?" She yawned.

"9:00," Troy said, glancing at the clock. "We need to get back. Your family is expecting a report from last night."

Gabriella nodded her head, the reality of Troy's last sentence hitting them both. Troy needed to hand over the paperwork and report back about what had happened, including what led up to Gabriella getting taken, Raul being shot, and what happened to Hernandez and his men among other things.

Troy cleared his throat, bringing them both out of their thoughts.

"We'd better leave soon. It's a bit of a drive back." Gabriella nodded, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'll be in the car."

Troy walked towards the door, stepping outside before shutting it behind him. Leaning on the hood of his car outside, Troy's thoughts returned to the possible outcomes of later that day. He knew full well that Gabriella could easily betray him at this point, even though she had said she wouldn't say anything to her family.

Troy was brought out of his thoughts as he heard the motel room door shut. Glancing up, he saw Gabriella walking towards him with an unreadable expression on her face. Troy sighed and unlocked the car before hopping in. A few minutes later, the two were on their way back to the Montez estate.

The ride was one long awkward silence. Troy was dying to know her answer, but he didn't want to make her angry again by asking. Thirty minutes later, they pulled into the driveway. Troy's nerves were definitely getting the best of him. In a few minutes, he and Gabriella would be inside sharing a report from the night before. All it took was for her to mention Chad's name once and he was done for.

Troy put the car in park, and took a deep breath before reaching for the door handle.

"Tomas?" Troy released the handle and looked over at Gabriella. "I meant what I said last night. As pissed off as I am about all of this, I'm not going to blow your cover right now. Just go in there, and we'll give our report to my dad like we're supposed to. I promise you can trust me on this."

Troy nodded his head. "Thanks."

Gabriella nodded back before stepping out of the car. Troy grabbed the papers from the back leaving the money and drugs he had gathered at the warehouse in the trunk before the two walked inside towards Gregorio's office, Troy working on fabricating his story the whole time.

The two stopped outside of the office door. Gabriella cocked her head to the side to look at Troy. Troy took a deep breath and nodded his head prompting Gabriella to knock gently on the door.

"Enter."

Troy pushed the door open and walked through after Gabriella, both looking up to see Gregorio finishing up a phone call. Troy quietly shut the door and took a few steps forward, thoughts continued to race through his mind as he waited patiently for Gregorio to finish his phone call.

"Yes…No…Two weeks? Okay. We'll be in contact." Gregorio put the phone back on the hook and looked at the two. "Take a seat," he said, ushering to the chairs in front of his desk.

Troy pulled both of the chairs out slightly taking a seat after Gabriella had sat down.

"So what happened?" Gregorio asked with no emotion on his face.

Troy cleared his throat. "Well sir, while I was down in Jersey, I got a call from Hernandez saying he didn't get his shipment, and he was holding Gabriella hostage until he got it."

"Why didn't he get his shipment?" Gregorio interrupted. His voice was calm, but Troy could sense the anger behind it.

"Sir, I left things with Raul. This was the second time he was supposed to make this drop. The first time only half of the drop was made, and this last time it was forgotten all together."

"When I talked to Raul yesterday after the workers had called to inform us you shot him, he said that you never told him to make that drop." Troy noticed the bit of skepticism in Gregorio's eyes, suddenly feeling anger race through his veins knowing Raul was trying to pinpoint this on him.

"That lying bastard," Troy muttered. "Sir, I told Raul both times to make that drop." Seeing he wasn't convinced, Troy continued. "I know it's my word against his right now, but I can prove to you that Raul is lying."

Troy's eyes landed on the file cabinet in the corner of the room. "If I could see the copy of the records for Sunset over the past few months, I can show you."

Gregorio nodded his head and made his way over to the cabinet, sliding open the second drawer down and thumbing through the files. Finding what he wanted, he pulled out the large file, handing it to Troy.

Troy quickly flipped through the hundreds of pieces of paper, finally coming across the ones he wanted. Pulling them out, he flipped them around and set them side by side in front of Gregorio. "A few weeks ago, I told you that I suspected someone was stealing from the inside. If you look at these records, you'll see a small amount of money missing from each drop Raul has done. Now it's a small amount, but it's also consistent as you can see."

Troy took a deep breath as he watched Gregorio study the papers in front of him, obviously working the figures out in his head.

"How long has this been going on?"

"From what I can tell, it's been at least a year."

Troy nervously watched Gregorio, hoping that he'd believe him and that Raul would be the only person Gregorio was suspicious of. He glanced towards Gabriella and saw she was watching her dad with interest as well.

After a few minutes of silence, Gregorio spoke up. "Have you confronted him on this?" He asked, holding up the papers.

Troy nodded.

"Is that why he came back here with a bullet in his arm?"

Gabriella's jaw dropped slightly as she whipped her head around towards Troy. "Not really Sir."

"Why then?"

Troy felt his heart speed up, feeling his nerves. He knew that by admitting the true reason why, Gregorio would learn of some deeper feelings he had for Gabriella. "I'd rather not say," Troy told him nervously. "Just know Cruz got shot because he couldn't keep his fat mouth shut."

"Tomas, I'm running a business here. A business involving family. Now I've brought you in and we've made you a part of our family here, just like Raul. Don't keep secrets from me and abuse my trust. I need to know why two of my men were at each others' throats and one came away with a bullet in him."

Troy couldn't fight the urge to look out of the corner of his eye at Gabriella, who was watching him intently. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he continued. "Sir, I knew it was his fault Gabriella was in danger. I was angry beyond words at Raul, so I used some force to punish him for the pain and danger he had caused this family, especially Gabriella. Then I threatened him to stay away from me and from Gabriella, and he said some inappropriate things about her." Troy found his eyes drifting to look at Gabriella who was still staring at him. "That's when I shot him," he finished, his eyes still connected with Gabriella's.

For the first time since the night before, Troy saw Gabriella's face soften, a sense of understanding radiating beneath her brown eyes.

"After everything he's done, I guess he deserved that," Gregorio said, gaining their attention back. "He risked our operation here, and Gabriella's life. Gabriella, when did Hernandez grab you?"

Gabriella tore her eyes away, looking at her father. "I don't really remember. I was walking to my car after class, and the next thing I know, I wake up with my hands tied to a chair with Hernandez' ugly face in front of me."

Troy smirked at the end, chuckling to himself at her words.

"What happened with Hernandez, Tomas?"

"I got there and scouted out the place, seeing he had four men there besides himself. I found Gabriella tied up in his office. When I got a chance, I made sure she was okay before planning how I would get her out. We both decided that Hernandez had screwed this family over enough times that it was time to take him out. After a few minutes, I came through the side door and took out his four men. When I got to the office, Hernandez had a gun to Gabriella's head. Once I saw him slip up enough so that I could get a clear shot, I took it, and then took him out."

"And the bodies?" Gregorio asked.

"Taken care of. No one will find them."

"Good." Gregorio nodded in approval.

"And here's the paperwork I collected from his office." Troy grabbed the file folder from his side and placed it on the desk. "The money we found is in the trunk of the car, and the drugs we were supposed to drop off are in there as well."

Gregorio flipped open the folder, flipping through the pages momentarily. "Okay, thank you both, especially you Tomas." Gregorio stood up along with Troy and Gabriella, grasping Troy's hand to shake it firmly.

Gregorio then shifted his focus to Gabriella. "Glad you're safe." Gabriella let a small smile form on her face at her father's rare moment of showing emotion.

Troy held his hand out to lead Gabriella out of the room. The two stepped towards the door, only to be halted by Gregorio's voice.

"Tomas?"

"Yes sir?" Troy asked turning around while holding the door open for Gabriella.

"Send Raul in here." Gregorio ordered, taking his seat and studying the papers from Hernandez.

Troy nodded and shut the door behind him after he and Gabriella had stepped through.

"Gladly." Troy smirked while walking towards the voices in the family room.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for all the reviews last chapter! We hope you liked this one just as much. We've been getting some reviews asking for us to update more often and asking why some of the recent chapters are shorter. We just wanted to say that the chapters will always vary in length. Some will be shorter and others longer. But the shorter chapters aren't a result of us trying to rush anything, so no worries. We both love this story and love writing these chapters for all of you. And as far as the updating, we said from the beginning we'd update once a week, every Saturday. Sorry we can't post more frequently, but hopefully the consistent updates make up for that. **

**Sorry for the long rant. Thanks again for all the support! Let us know what you thought about this chapter. Your reviews mean a lot to us. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Disguised Affection Chapter 21**

Troy walked into the family room, unable to hide the smug grin on his face. Troy spotted Raul sitting on the couch watching TV with Matteo, Joe, and Michael. He chuckled softly seeing a large bandage on Raul's arm that was in a sling. Troy quietly snuck up behind Raul, slapping his hand down roughly over the bandage on Raul's arm. Troy fought the urge to burst out laughing when Raul winced and roughly brushed Troy's hand away.

"What the hell Martinez?" Troy smirked as Raul glared harshly at him.

"Hey Cruz. Gregorio wants to see you."

Troy moved around to face Raul who was still sitting down, his facial expression not hiding the fact that he was pissed off. "About what?"

"I shot your arm, not your leg Cruz. Why don't you get your lazy ass up and go find out yourself?"

Raul huffed in annoyance, grimacing as he leaned on his good arm, pushing off of the arm of the couch. "Need a hand?" Troy smirked, holding out his hand in a taunting manner.

"Go to hell Martinez." Raul muttered, finally standing up and making his way out of the room.

Troy plopped down onto the couch, fixing his eyes on the football game on TV. "So you really shot Raul, huh?"

Troy turned his head and nodded at Michael. "Yeah, I did."

"Why'd you shoot him?" Joe asked, turning down the volume as the game went to a quick commercial, before looking at Troy, who was seated to his left.

"Hernandez took Gabriella because Raul screwed up the drop. We got into it when I came back to Sunset to make the drop, and he said something about Gabriella that ticked me off. He deserved it."

"Well, I would have shot him too," Matteo added, causing Troy to chuckle.

When the game returned from commercial, they focused back in on the TV. Ten minutes later, Raul walked back in. From the look on his face, Troy could tell Raul was angry, pissed off, and slightly worried. "Gregorio wants to see you," he said, looking at Joe who stood up. Joe nodded and walked out of the room, only to return moments later motioning to Matteo, Michael, and Troy.

"Let's go." All four of them made their way to Gregorio's office, each walked in one by one and Troy closed the door behind him. Gregorio looked up from the paperwork.

"Sit down," Gregorio said, as the four guys took a seat. "I need you to do something. It seems that Raul has been stealing from our family for at least a year." Troy looked around the room, noticing the three other guys looking slightly surprised at this statement. "The records show small amounts of money have been disappearing on deals that Raul is in charge of."

"So you want us to take him out?" Troy couldn't help but like that idea that came to his head after hearing Matteo's question. Just the thought of Raul forcing himself on Gabriella and remembering the things he had said about her made Troy want to go out in the family room and do the job right away.

"No, I don't want him taken out just yet. I would like you four to send him a message though. Show him that we are aware of what he's done and will not tolerate his actions any longer. I have already told him he will have less responsibility around here. It is clear we can't trust him, but until we find someone else, we can still use him. But for now he's under your watchful eye Tomas, I'm trusting you."

Troy nodded his head, "Yes sir."

"Now I have some things to attend to, as do you."

The boys nodded their heads and filed out. All four walked into the kitchen and spotted Raul leaning against the counter trying to get Gabriella to talk to him.

"Gabriella you know that I had nothing to do with you getting snatched up." He said gruffly.

She scoffed to herself, continuing to flip through one of her textbooks. Troy's patience ran thin as he watched the pair interact. He walked over grabbing Raul by the neck and pushed him towards Michael, Matteo, and Joe. Each grabbed him and threw him towards the garage.

"What the hell guys!" He yelled clutching his arm protectively. The boys only pushed him harder and followed him out to the car.

Troy turned to follow, "Tomas what are you going to do to him?" Her delicate voice stopped him dead in his tracks. He turned to her, noticing the concern etched on her face, his heart fluttering at the thought that she was worried about him.

"Don't worry about it Gabi. We'll be fine. He's getting what he deserves."

Gabriella stood up from her place at the table and walked towards Troy, leaning against the counter next to him. She looked around the kitchen, making sure no one else was within hearing distance before looking back at Troy whose gaze was at his feet. "I wanted to thank you for what you did for me," she said in a hushed tone. Troy was unable to hide the grin on his face. For the past few days, he'd definitely missed the moments like this between them.

"You're welcome," Troy responded, finally connecting his brown eyes with hers. "Cruz crossed a line, and he's going to get what's coming to him." A soft contagious smile formed on Gabriella's face.

The sound of a car starting in the garage brought the two out of their thoughts. "I better get out there. I don't want to miss out on this," Troy smirked, causing Gabriella to giggle. Troy slapped his hand down twice gently on the counter before heading towards the garage.

"Tomas?" Gabriella's sweet voice called out, prompting Troy to spin around. "Be safe." Troy nodded, smiling at her once more before heading out the door. He ran to the garage, but saw no sign of Raul.

"Where's Raul?" Troy looked around again but still saw no sign.

"He's in the trunk." Joe said smirking.

Troy grinned at him, "Alright let's go, but I have a hunch that this might be a bit of a bumpy ride." All the guys got into the car and pulled out onto the road.

--

They pulled up to a junk yard a few miles out and got out of the car. Troy walked back to the trunk and opened it. Instead of his face bearing a smirk it was completely blank, like stone, showing no emotion. It was time to make things right.

"Get out."

Raul tried to push himself out of the trunk but couldn't so Troy reached in and grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him out only to throw him to the ground.

"Damnit Martinez!" Raul jumped up off the ground, lunging towards Troy, who punched him on his left jaw sending him spiraling back to the ground. Raul grimaced, wiping some blood off of the corner of his lip, before rubbing his jaw. "You're gonna pay for that Martinez"

Troy heard someone walk up behind him and glanced around to see Joe, Michael, and Matteo all standing there. "No, I believe you're gonna pay Cruz," Troy smirked back at Raul.

Joe walked forward, kicking Raul in the side, before roughly picking him up, and pushing him into Matteo and Michael, who forcefully grabbed onto Raul's shoulders.

"What the hell guys?" Raul asked, struggling to get out of their grip, only to have Matteo knee him in his side before tightening his grip.

"Surely you didn't think you were gonna get away with it?" Joe asked, standing a few feet away looking Raul straight in the eye.

"What are you talking about Joe?" Raul grimaced, clutching his left side in pain.

Joe shifted his eyes from Raul and made eye contact with Michael, nodding his head once. Michael nodded back and released one hand from Raul's shoulder, long enough to punch him in his left side before gripping onto his shoulder once again.

Raul leaned forward, coughing a few times, trying to catch his breath. Troy watched as Joe grabbed the back of Raul's head seconds later, jerking his neck back to look him in the eyes.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." Raul shook his head in denial, and Joe nodded at both Michael and Matteo.

Matteo kneed Raul's back on the left side, knocking him forward right into Michael, who kneed him in the stomach before punching his left jaw. Matteo then grabbed his left shoulder, pulling him back up and forcing him to look at Joe.

"We can do this all night Raul. It's up to you how long you want this to go on. Fess up and you won't have it nearly as bad."

Raul grimaced, looking past Joe, his eyes falling on Troy who was standing a few feet back. "You blame your screw ups on me Martinez? Is that what this is all about? You screwed up and your little girlfriend gets in danger, so you blame me?"

Troy stepped closer so that he was right in front of Raul. "You brought this all on yourself Cruz. They know exactly what you've been up to for the past year. All you have to do is admit it." Troy went to step back, but suddenly leaned closer, a smirk forming. "Personally though, I'd rather you didn't. I'm kind of enjoying this."

Raul spit in Troy's face, and no less than a second later, Troy's right fist connected with Raul's left jaw followed quickly by Troy's left fist connecting with his nose. Bringing his shirt up to his face, Troy wiped off the spit before looking back at Raul.

Seeing the blood dripping from his nose and mouth, Troy brought his hand up to Raul's face, pushing on his nose. "Looks like it's broken." Troy shrugged, pushing him back roughly. "Better confess soon Cruz or I can assure you that a few bruises and a broken nose are going to be the least of your worries."

"So I screw up one deal with Hernandez and this is what happens?" Raul snarled while struggling to catch his breath.

Joe resumed his place, a few feet in front of him. "One deal huh? Try screwing up deals for awhile now. Care to explain to us how in almost every deal you have been involved in for the past year, either drugs, money, or both are unaccounted for?"

Raul's eyes went wide, unable to mask his guilt.

"That's right. We know all about how you've been screwing us over. Unfortunately for you, we aren't going to kill you. That'd be too easy. After Tomas, Michael, and Matteo are done with you though, you won't ever think about double-crossing this family again."

Joe spun around, nodding once to Troy before stepping towards the car. Troy couldn't help the slight grin that made its way onto his face as he walked towards Raul.

Hearing a low chuckle come from Raul, Troy stopped, a puzzled look appearing on his face. "What's so funny Cruz?"

"Nothing," Raul smirked.

"If I were in your position, laughing would be the last thing I'd do."

Raul chuckled some more, and Michael and Matteo tightened their grips, causing him to grimace. "I just think it's funny that you're all excited about this. Any wimp can beat someone up when that person's being held back."

Troy looked at Matteo and then Michael, nodding to them. Seconds later, the two men released their hold on Raul, pushing him forward into Troy who immediately threw his fist into the side of Raul's face, knocking him down.

Troy stood over Raul, noticing the red mark forming on the side of his face, along with the slight cut above his eyebrow where blood was beginning to drip out. "Seems to me you weren't being held back, Cruz."

Raul rolled over on his side in pain, as Troy kicked him hard in his ribs. "Get up!" Raul grimaced, clutching his side, with his good arm. "Let's go. No one's holding you back. Aren't you gonna make me pay like you threatened earlier?"

Troy took a few steps back as Raul pushed himself up off the ground. Raul lunged towards Troy, his arm swinging towards Troy's head. Troy ducked underneath while simultaneously bringing his own fist around to connect with Raul's stomach.

Raul doubled over in pain, falling to his knees in coughing fits. Troy turned to look behind him momentarily and the moment he looked back towards Raul, he felt a fist connect with his jaw spinning his head back around.

"Damn that felt good." Raul hissed as Troy wiped the blood off of the corner of his face. Troy turned back to see Raul smiling arrogantly at him. "You know, that felt almost as good as that time I was with your girl. She certainly doesn't disappoint."

As soon as Raul uttered those words he was on the ground once again, blood streaming from above his eye.

Troy heard footsteps behind him and watched while Michael roughly kicked Raul in his ribs. "You crossed a line Cruz. Never touch my sister again." Michael punctuated his last word with another kick to the ribs, causing Raul to roll over onto his stomach.

Troy stood back as Matteo stepped forward, picking Raul up by his shirt and shoving him straight into Michael's fist. Raul stumbled backwards towards Matteo, who brought his fist into Raul's jaw, knocking him to the ground.

Matteo reached down, picking Raul up once more. "I don't know what went through that stupid head of yours when you thought you could get away with all of this," Matteo said harshly in Raul's ear, bringing Raul's good arm behind him and hearing it crack, much to his satisfaction. Raul screamed out in pain, clutching onto his arm while being shoved towards Michael.

Matteo and Michael stood on either side of Raul, each holding him upright. Troy glanced back at Joe, seeing him nod his head, signaling to wrap it up. Troy nodded back before moving to stand inches from Raul.

"You know Cruz, you may not think so now, but in a few weeks you'll wish that we would have killed you tonight. And as much as I enjoyed this tonight, I'm going to enjoy the next few weeks even more, because, well let's put it this way…I'm in charge of you. And rest assured, I'm going to make your life a living hell."

Raul's swollen eyes looked up at Troy for a brief moment, just long enough to see the taunting smile on Troy's face before Troy sent Raul spiraling back to the ground with one swift punch to the jaw.

After making sure Raul was unconscious, Matteo and Michael picked Raul up, dragging him back to the car and tossing him in the trunk. Troy silently followed the other three into the car, all of them wearing smug grins as they drove back to the Montez estate.

--

Troy walked into the house carrying half of Raul's weight as Michael took up the left side. They carried him up the stairs and walked down the hall to his room only to drop him on the bed carelessly.

"I personally would have rather left him in the trunk." Michael commented, walking out into the hallway with Troy following right behind him.

"Me too."

Michael smirked and bid Troy goodnight before making his way to his own bedroom. Troy rubbed his hand over his jaw in the area Raul had punched him.

"Tomas?"

Troy spun around to see a pajama clad Gabriella shuffling from foot to foot, standing outside his door.

"Hey." He said softly as a smile spread across his face, the pain in his jaw seeming to instantly vanish.

"Hey. I just wanted to come check on you. Ya know before I went to sleep."

"I'm fine Gabriella." Troy took a step closer to her and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"Tomas." Troy looked into her eyes as she whispered, "I want to give you an answer Tomas, really I do." He could see her eyes start to fill with tears. Troy gently grabbed her arm, pulling her inside his room before shutting the door. As he turned to face her, he saw her blinking her eyes rapidly in attempts to fight off the tears.

"Hey hey hey." He comforted her, slowly moving his hand up and down her arm, "It's okay."

Gabriella brought her hand up, wiping away a stray tear that had escaped.

Troy sighed. "Listen Gabi. As much as it's killing me to not have an answer, I trust you that you aren't going to rat me out."

Gabriella took a deep breath, shifting her eyes to her feet. "I know, but…," she paused, bringing her eyes back up to Troy's, "this is one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make. When I told you I wanted out that one night, I was serious. I really can't stand being a part of all of this. But despite what they do, they're my family, you know?" Gabriella shrugged. "I don't know if I can betray them like this…work against them and basically help you send them all to prison for life, or worse."

Troy took a deep breath, looking into her pained eyes. "Gabi, I understand that you feel like you're betraying them, but what they are doing is wrong. And you have an opportunity to not be taken down with them. I know you were born into this and are almost a slave to this lifestyle. If you help us, you'll be able to get immunity…escape all of this…finish college. You can have your life back. Just promise me you'll continue to think about it though."

Gabriella sighed, "I promise."

Troy gave her a smile, "Good now go to sleep, I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

Troy gave her a sweet kiss on the forehead before ushering her out of his room. After he closed the door he slammed his head against it. He knew he had to wait for her answer but the suspense was killing him, he didn't know how much longer he could prolong her knowing without having to turn her in. He just hoped she came up with an answer soon, preferably the one that would lead to them both getting their lives back.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews. As always, we appreciate seeing your thoughts on this. We hope you enjoyed this chapter. :)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disguised Affection Chapter 22**

The early morning breeze swept past Troy as he rounded the corner, heading back towards the Montez estate. As he jogged through the park, dressed in a white cutoff shirt and black basketball shorts, the music blasting through his ipod was the last thing on his mind. Troy would have thought that after his restless night of sleep in the bathtub, he would have no trouble sleeping through the night and through much of the morning.

However, as he lay in bed the previous night, his thoughts were swarmed with those of Gabriella. Those thoughts had only continued to plague him throughout his morning jog. He couldn't get her off of his mind. He meant it when he told her he believed she wouldn't rat him out but, he couldn't stop himself from worrying what would happen if she didn't agree to help. He wasn't stupid, and he knew how things worked. Now that she knew everything, if she didn't comply, she would be held responsible for her actions, which meant time in prison.

That very thought brought a pain to Troy's chest he had never experienced before. Even though he knew it was a long shot at this point, Troy felt hopeful that after all of this was over, he could finally pursue a deeper relationship with Gabriella. Yet, if she didn't cooperate with the FBI, Troy knew that those hopes would be shattered.

Catching sight of the brunette jogging in front of him, Troy was pulled from his thoughts as a sly grin crept up on his face. Synchronizing his steps with hers, Troy snuck up behind her. After a few steps, Troy reached his hands out, gently tickling her sides.

Not anticipating her reaction, Troy failed to see her left arm swing around as she spun towards him, her left fist connecting with his right side. Troy stumbled backwards, clutching his side and doubling over, effectively missing the sight of Gabriella's eyes widening in shock when she recognized him.

"Oh my gosh! Tomas!" Gabriella slowly reached her hand out, placing it on Troy's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Finally catching his breath, Troy brought his eyes up to meet hers, nodding slowly through his grimace.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Troy coughed a few more times before standing back up. "Dang Gabi, you have quite the left hook there," Troy admitted, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Yeah? What about my right hook?" Gabriella asked with a facial expression Troy couldn't read.

"Right hook?"

Gabriella nodded, and before Troy could register what was happening, her right fist had nailed his left side sending him doubling over in pain again.

"Ah! What the hell?" Troy cried out clutching his side, grimacing once again. "What was that for?"

"THAT was for freaking me out! Don't ever do that again! You're lucky I didn't knee you where it hurts. That's normally my first reaction."

Troy slowly stood up once again, eyeing a bench off to his left and making his way over there. "Well I can safely say I very much appreciate that," Troy commented, sitting down in the middle of the bench.

Gabriella grinned slightly, tentatively stepping closer.

Troy smiled back and scooted a few inches to his right, patting the open space next to him. "Have a seat."

"You sure?"

"As long as you promise not to abuse me, then yes I'm sure."

Gabriella giggled as she sat down next to him.

Troy turned his head slightly, noticing her light blue tank top and black jogging shorts, along with her dark brown hair that was thrown into a messy ponytail and her flushed cheeks.

"So," Troy began with a smirk, "I thought you didn't run long distances."

"Shut-up." Gabriella sent him a mock glare, nudging his elbow with hers.

Troy grinned at her, nudging her back. "Seriously though, why are you up so early?"

Gabriella sighed, suddenly looking down at her hands in her lap as she nervously twiddled her thumbs. "I needed to focus. Even though I don't normally run, I've found it's the best way to clear my thoughts and make sense of things. I couldn't sleep, and I just needed to get out and think things through."

"I know the feeling. Like the air that rushes past your face helps clear the jumbled thoughts in your head," Troy glanced beside him to see Gabriella staring intently at him. "And suddenly, the world starts to make a bit more sense again."

Gabriella sighed, "Exactly."

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything, both content just to sit there. Out of the corner of his eye, Troy saw Gabriella look at him, a contemplative look drawn across her face as she stared at him for a few moments before breaking the silence.

"Tomas?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you something? You don't have to answer. I understand there's protocol and everything."

"Go ahead." Troy nodded, prompting her to continue.

"I was just curious how much of this is all a fabrication. I mean, I know you can't say much…but all those stories you've told me about your past. How much truth is there to those? Then there's your name, which I'm sure is different than what you've told us."

Troy kept silent, trying to figure out how he was going to answer her questions. Unable to read his expression, Gabriella clarified her questions, "Look, I'm not really mad about it. I've just been thinking about how I want to trust you…but I don't really know you."

Gabriella's eyes flickered over to Troy who had his head buried in his hands. Taking a deep breath, Troy sat up, turning his body slightly to face her.

"Gabi, I really want to tell you. Don't get me wrong on that. But it's just…some things are better left unsaid. At least for the time being."

Gabriella nodded, her disappointment obvious to Troy. Slowly she stood up, "I'd better get back," she said quietly, taking a step in the opposite direction, but before she could take a step further, Troy reached out and gently took hold of her wrist.

"Hey," Troy said softly, standing up and tugging gently on her wrist to get her attention, prompting her to turn back around. "It would put you in a lot more danger if you knew those things. And I honestly can't let myself do that. So for now, I guess you are going to have to find a way to trust me, without knowing all of the details."

Gabriella gave him a soft smile, nodding her head but obviously still deep in thought as she took off jogging towards home.

Troy sighed, his hands running through his hair, his thoughts racing once again concerning Gabriella's decision. Realizing he needed to get back and go over to Sunset, Troy put his earphones back in before taking off towards the Montez estate.

--

After a quick shower once, Troy put on a pair of dark blue jeans and a black long-sleeved collared shirt, rolling the sleeves up to his elbows before making his way out of his room. Walking down the hall, Troy threw open the door to Raul's room, letting it bang loudly against the wall.

Troy stepped over to the bed, grabbing the mattress and flipping it upright, causing Raul to plummet to the ground.

Raul cried out in pain, clutching his broken arm that he had gotten the night before. Troy walked around the bed and towered over Raul.

"Let's go Cruz." Troy kicked him in his side. "Get up! Trust me, you don't want to miss out on work today."

"Martinez, what the hell are you doing in my room? Damnit, it's 6:15 in the morning. I don't have to be at Sunset till 9:00."

"That's where you're wrong. Because of your little stunt, I'm in charge now. And that means you're going to be where I say when I say it. Now, get up before I shoot your other arm."

Troy kicked him in the ribs once more before walking out of the room, slamming the door shut. He then made his way downstairs, to quickly grab some breakfast. Ten minutes later, Raul trudged down the stairs and entered the kitchen, heading straight towards the coffee pot.

"Cruz, no time for coffee this morning. Let's go. You're late." Troy took Raul by the shoulder, roughly pushing him out of the door and into the garage.

"Get your hands off of me!" Raul grimaced, swatting at Troy's hand that was applying pressure to his broken arm.

Troy shoved Raul into the passenger door of the car, smirking at him before making his way to the driver's seat.

Minutes later, after arriving at Sunset, Troy pushed Raul inside the doors of the warehouse. Raul glanced around, and seeing no one else there, he turned to Troy completely furious.

"There's no one freakin' here Martinez? What the hell are we doing?"

Troy grinned, an evil glint in his eye. "You know, I was thinking the other day, it's been a long time since this place has been cleaned. So, I'm going to go over some paper work, while you," Troy paused, sticking his hand in his pocket and pulling out a small toothbrush, "scrub the floor."

"Who do I look like to you, Cinderella?" Raul yelled, glaring at Troy.

"Just a little bit, around the eyes." Troy smirked, handing him the toothbrush. "Have fun."

Ignoring Raul, who was muttering something under his breath, Troy turned back around, a smirk still present. "Oh, don't forget the bathroom."

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews last chapter. It was fun to read all the comments about Raul getting beat up. Hopefully you liked this chapter as well. **

**Also, Erin posted a new oneshot called 'Can I have this dance?', and Corri is co-writing a story called 'Trading Letters for Desire' that you can find on Dee31's profile. Check them both out if you'd like. :) **


	24. Chapter 24

**Disguised Affection Chapter 23**

Troy walked into his bedroom with a smirk on his face. Watch Raul clean the bathroom was definitely the highlight of his day. He went straight to the desk and set down all the paperwork that he had brought back with him to work on. Even though it was the last thing that he wanted to do, he of course had to keep up the façade of being a part of this family.

He sat down with his calculator and looked through the pages over and over noticing that even last month's number didn't add up. He couldn't comprehend why Raul would do it every month. It's like he was asking to get caught. After an hour of looking at numbers he decided that he needed a break. Pushing himself away from the desk and standing up to stretch, he made his way downstairs noticing that it was a bit quieter than normal.

He walked to the kitchen seeing Juan, "Hey Juan. Where is everyone?" He took a glass from the counter before pouring the milk he had previously grabbed into it.

"Gregorio had some issues with a few clients, so he sent Gabriella, Joe and Michael on a visit."

Troy turned to look at him worry etched on his face, "Gabriella? Why didn't they send Matteo?"

"Matteo was needed for something else." Juan shrugged his shoulders before walking out of the kitchen while calling over his shoulder, "Don't forget about dinner, they should be back in time. Gregorio wants everyone to be there for an announcement."

Troy looked back at his glass of milk and suddenly he wasn't so thirsty. He knew that Gabriella could handle herself but he was still worried that her mouth would end up getting her into trouble. Troy took the glass pouring the milk down the drain and setting it in the sink. In a daze he walked up to his room again, the worry for Gabriella taking over every function in his body. He didn't need to be worried, she was with her brothers, but the feeling in the pit of his stomach told him otherwise.

Taking a seat back at the desk he shuffled through more and more papers hoping that the nagging feeling he was having would go away. Two hours later Troy had finished all of the paper work and was wondering what was taking them so long to get back.

"Tomas." A soft voice called from his doorway. He looked up to see a shaking Gabriella with wide eyes, completely covered in blood.

Without thinking twice, Troy shot up from his seat wrapping her in his arms. He didn't know what happened and for the first time in his life he was unable to think rationally. Troy felt her shaking in his embrace, and he leaned back a few inches to look into her eyes. "Gabriella what happened?" He started checking her for injuries hoping that the blood all over her wasn't her own.

Gabriella buried her face into his chest, "I want out." She whispered.

Troy had thought that the moment he heard those words he would immediately feel a huge wave of relief hit him. But at this moment, all that was on his mind was if she was okay. Moving over to his bed, he sat them both down.

After wiping away a few tears with the pads of his thumbs, Troy pulled her into his embrace. "What happened?" he whispered.

Gabriella pulled away from Troy taking a deep breath, "W-w-we went to go check on some clients. We heard some rumors about them skipping out but not before trying to take over our side of town. So Dad asked me to go with Michael and Joe since Mateo was doing something else. I didn't want to go but I didn't really have a choice. I didn't want to do it Tomas, I swear I didn't." Troy could tell that Gabriella was getting close to hysteria so he did the only thing he could think of, comfort her.

"I know you didn't Gabi. I believe you." Troy rubbed her arms trying to calm her down.

Gabriella nodded her head. "So we get there and they've got all these people there, more than we thought. So Michael and Joe went to go talk to the guy they told me to stay put and that they'd be back so I stood there watching all these people packing and cashing out and stuff from their runs. Everything seemed fine but then I heard gunshots coming from where Michael and Joe were at so instead of running like everyone else I ran towards it. I just needed to make sure they were okay. When I got there everyone was shooting at each other, there was blood everywhere. I thought I was hidden but then I heard someone start shooting at me. So I started shooting back. Everything was so crazy Tomas. I don't even remember what really happened. All I know is at the end of it all it was me, Joe, and Michael and they both had the guy that we came to see pinned against the wall. They wanted me to shoot him Tomas. They told me to shoot him, to just put it to his head and pull the trigger. I killed him Tomas, I killed someone and for what, fucking rep and a side of town. I'm done. I want out." Troy heard her whimper which only caused him to pull her closer to him.

"I want out Tomas." She whimpered into his shirt.

"I know Gabi, I know. I'll start working on it first thing in the morning." Troy tucked her head under his chin as he smoothed out her hair trying to calm her down. She was still crying and that was something Troy just couldn't handle. He pulled away only to walk to his dressed pulling out a pair of boxers and the smallest t-shirt he owned and made his way back to her.

"Here are some clothes why don't you take a shower and get changed I'm sure you'll feel better." She mutely nodded and opened his bedroom door to go to the bathroom down the hall.

Everything had pulled a complete one eighty for Troy. Now that Gabriella was on his side, he had to change his whole course of action, and he didn't know how he was going to manage to do that. His time was running out on the case. He had to rearrange the details and fast. Troy's mind was reeling so fast that he didn't hear his bedroom door open.

"Tomas." Troy turned around and saw Gabi wet and still shivering but he had a hunch that it had nothing to do with being cold.

"Come here." He opened his arms motioning her to come to him. He enveloped her in his arms and pulled her close resting his chin on her head.

"We need to go down for dinner, are you hungry?"

She shook her head, and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Troy soothingly ran his hands up and down her back. As he held her tightly in his arms, Troy couldn't help but think how right it all felt.

Hearing her sniffle and feeling something drip onto his shirt, Troy looked down to see tears dripping down Gabriella's face. Troy grabbed her chin lightly and made her look at him. "Gabi, I know it's hard, but you need to stay strong okay? From now on when you are interacting with your family, they can't suspect anything. I'm gonna need you to pull yourself together alright?"

Troy brought his hands up from her waist gently cradling her face in his hands, while wiping away a few stray tears. Gabriella gave a weak smile while nodding her head.

"I know it's just…I'm worried about my family. I don't want to see anything really bad happen to any of them."

Hearing her voice break slightly, Troy quickly brought her back into his chest. "Hey, I'm going to do everything I can to prevent anything bad from happening to any of them, okay?" Troy whispered, brushing his lips over the top of her head.

"Except Raul," Gabriella mumbled into his chest, causing Troy to chuckle.

"Except Raul." Troy confirmed, unable to hide his smirk.

Bringing his hand up from her lower back, Troy soothingly ran his hand through her hair. "You ready to go down to dinner?" Troy asked after a few moments.

Gabriella shook her head. "Can I have a few more minutes?"

Troy sighed, pulling her even closer by wrapping both arms tightly around her lower back. "Of course."

Feeling her unconsciously trace patterns on his back, Troy grinned and rested his cheek on her head. A few minutes later, Gabriella pulled back slightly, peering over at his clock that read '5:50'.

"I guess we should get down there," Gabriella sighed, still wrapped up in Troy's arms. Troy nodded and regretfully detangled himself from her. For the first time, he got a good look at her dressed in his clothes and immediately he was struck by her natural beauty. Gazing up and down her body, Troy didn't know if he'd ever seen her look more beautiful than she did at that moment.

"What?" Gabriella questioned, pulling Troy out of his thoughts.

Troy shook his head, connecting his eyes with hers. "Nothing," he grinned, his expression revealing it was far from nothing. Gabriella raised her eyebrows and Troy laughed.

"We'd better get downstairs before they all get pissed off," Troy said, ushering her towards the door. Troy chuckled from a few steps behind her.

"What are you laughing at now?" Gabriella asked amusedly.

Troy grinned, catching up to walk beside her. "Well, I was just thinking what your family would say if you wore that to dinner."

Gabriella rolled her eyes as they neared the staircase. "I'll be back really quick," Gabriella told him before darting into her bedroom.

Two minutes later, Troy heard the door open again and saw Gabriella emerge, still dressed in his t-shirt, but instead of the boxers, she was wearing a pair of black sweatpants. Troy grinned as she fell into stride with him while the two walked downstairs and into the kitchen.

When they walked into the kitchen he saw that the family was already sitting. Troy walked with Gabriella and pulled her chair out for her to sit before taking a seat himself.

"Is there any reason you two were almost late?" Gregorio asked his eyes boring into Troy's.

"I had to change." Her voice barely heard.

"Gabriella had to change and she came and got me. I was so wrapped up in the paper work I lost track of time." He came to her rescue hoping in some way he was making it just a bit easier for her.

Gregorio nodded before motioning for everyone to start eating. With Idle chatter filling the room Troy looked at Gabriella in his peripheral vision and noticed that she was picking at her food. He took his hand and placed it on her knee under the table. She jumped which caused Troy to just brush his thumb over her knee to try and comfort her.

Gabriella took a deep breath before bringing her fork to her mouth attempting to eat. Even though Gabriella was now eating Troy didn't remove his hand from her knee, but continued comforting her.

"Tomas."

Troy's head snapped up from his food to look at Gregorio, " Yes sir?"

"I wanted to make sure I had your full attention as I made this announcement." Troy smiled and gave a curt nod. "I was talking with Rainer a couple of days ago and he has agreed to be the head of our branch out in Miami so we can extend our work into the southeast."

"That's awesome news Papa." Joe voiced giving a small smile.

"Yes it is. And I wanted to let you all know that I've decided to have Tomas manage our new southeast division." Gregorio nodded his head in Troy's direction with a full grin on his face. "You are in charge of finding people to make the move with you down to Miami."

Raul whipped his head over, staring at Gregorio in disbelief, his jaw dropped slightly.

"But, but he…I can't..," Raul began to mutter incoherent phrases before looking back up to see Troy grinning back at him. "You can't be serious!" Raul exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air while roughly pushing his chair up and springing up from his seat.

Gregorio gave Raul a stern glare, "Sit down Raul!"

Raul sat down, his glare never leaving his dark eyes as he crossed his arms in anger while staring in disbelief, his eyes reluctantly shifting back towards Gregorio as he resumed talking.

"Now as I was saying, since you are in charge of this division, you will need more workers to help run operations down there. I trust you to find people to make the move with you down to Miami. People you trust and are going to excel in the same way you have. I'm trusting you Tomas, also consider this a thank you for bringing my daughter back to me."

Troy felt Gabriella tense at his words, and immediately squeezed her knee for reassurance.

"Thank you sir. I've actually got some boys back home that would be a great addition." He smiled to himself thinking that things were finally falling into place and he was getting that much closer to getting his normal life back. No more alias, no more pretending to be someone he's not. He'd finally be himself once again, and be able to show Gabriella who he really is, hopefully earning a decent shot with her.

**Erin & Corri AN: Read and review...simple as that. Oh, please :)  
**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disguised Affection Chapter 24**

Immediately following dinner, Troy excused himself and went upstairs to his room. After changing into light blue running shorts and a black hooded sweatshirt, Troy pulled out a brown paper bag, jotting down a few notes on the new developments. Once he was finished, he crumbled up the brown paper bag and shoved it in his pocket. Picking up his cell phone off the bed, Troy typed a quick message to the anonymous number set up by the FBI and stuck his phone in his pocket.

Troy exited his room and was about to head downstairs when he heard Gabriella call him.

"Tomas?" Troy stopped abruptly, taking a few steps back towards Gabriella's bedroom at the sound of her voice.

"Hey," Troy greeted, smiling before walking in her room and shutting the door gently behind him.

"Where are you going?" Gabriella asked curiously, getting up out of her desk chair and leaning against her desk that held a few of her textbooks.

"I was going out for a jog before bed."

"You meeting someone?" Gabriella asked quietly, knowing that Troy probably needed to inform his people about the huge job coming up.

Troy shook his head and walked over to her, leaning beside her against the desk so they could talk quietly. "No, that'll happen later. In situations like this, protocol is to make contact with them first by dropping details of the developments at one of our specified drop locations. Then they will make contact and inform me of the meeting time."

"So you're going to do that then?"

Troy nodded and pulled the crumpled paper bag out of his pocket, a slight grin on his face as he showed it to her. "Doesn't call any attention. I just toss this in a trash can on my jog, and they send someone to pick it up."

"Very inconspicuous," Gabriella said through a small grin.

"You catching up on homework?" Troy asked, shifting through the books on her desk. "Educational Psychology huh?" Troy picked up the rather sizeable text and began to flip through it. "Looks exciting," he commented sarcastically eliciting a giggle from Gabriella.

"Yeah, well I have to do my homework and learn this stuff if I want to be a good teacher. No matter how much this boring book makes me want to fall asleep."

Troy flipped the book closed and tossed it back onto her desk. "How about a break then? You can come with me on my jog."

Gabriella laughed sarcastically. "I don't know if you remember Tomas, but I hardly ever run long distances. Just because you're weird and actually go on a run every day doesn't mean I should have to go too."

"Come on Gabi. It'll be good for you," Troy encouraged her, bumping her elbow with his. Troy smiled at her before flicking off her desk lamp and pulling her towards her dresser. "Hurry up and put on your jogging clothes and let's go."

Gabriella looked up into his eyes and couldn't ignore the excitement and anticipation she saw there. She knew he really wanted her to come with him. With a slight roll of her eyes and a small sigh of defeat, Gabriella pulled open her middle drawer and grabbed some shorts and a t-shirt, much to Troy's satisfaction.

A few minutes later, she was changed with her running shoes laced up, ready to go. She followed Troy downstairs and after informing a curious Michael and Matteo about where they were headed, Gabriella stepped out of the front door into the nice, cool evening air.

After shutting the door, Troy grinned before taking off down the front sidewalk.

"Come on Montez!" Troy called out after spinning around and jogging backwards so he could face her.

Gabriella quickly caught up to Troy before he reached the street. Troy let out a dramatic sigh as she reached him, "Finally."

Gabriella let her jaw drop in mock offense before bumping his hip with hers harshly, sending him towards a street light post. Troy quickly stuck his hands out in front of him and grabbed the pole, stopping himself from barreling into it.

As he stepped back from the post, the sound of uncontrolled giggles filled his ears. Troy glanced over at her, rolling his eyes slightly trying to hide his amusement. "Not funny Montez," Troy said in a serious tone.

"Oh but it was. Learn to keep your smart comments to yourself and it won't happen again," Gabriella smirked, laughing at his attempts to be angry. "Let's go Tomas. Try to keep up!" Gabriella called out before darting down the street.

With a shake of his head, this time unable to conceal his amusement, Troy quickly sprinted after her. Ten minutes later, the two found themselves jogging side by side down the sidewalk in the park that was dimly lit by a few streetlights and the moon and stars above.

As they neared a trashcan near a cement park bench, Troy slowed down to a walk and reached his hand into his pocket. Pulling out the crumbled bag, he tossed it in there before pulling out his cell phone and quickly sending a message to the anonymous number.

"So that's it?" Gabriella asked somewhat breathlessly.

Troy nodded. "Yeah. It's pretty simple, and like I said, it draws little attention. If the information I provide warrants a meeting, which this one will, then they make contact and set one up." Troy glanced quickly at the time on his phone. "Want to take a seat?"

Gabriella agreed and followed Troy over to the swing set, taking a seat on the swing to his left. After a few minutes of silence, Troy spoke up. "So how are you doing dealing with everything?" He asked sincerely while swinging slowly back and forth, his eyes focused on the brunette beside him.

Gabriella took a deep breath. "I'm doing okay, considering everything. I mean, I've been involved in this business as long as I can remember, and the same goes for my family. And despite the fact that I hate what this family is about, they're still my family you know? I just don't know if I can face them after all of this is over when they will all know I helped to bring them down."

Troy stopped his swing momentarily, pausing to look at Gabriella who also sat still. "Listen Gabi, I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through…having to turn them in. But you know they are doing stuff that is very illegal. And you're doing the right thing. After this is all done, you can get your life back…finish school, start your career…the career YOU want. By helping us bring them down, you will be helping us minimize a lot of crime in the area."

"That's just it though," Gabriella admitted. "I helped carry out a lot of those crimes. I basically bought and sold drugs most of my teenage life for my family. And let's not forget that I killed someone a few days ago," Gabriella admitted softly, turning her gaze away from Troy's. "After all of that, who's to say they will ever waive those crimes and allow me immunity?"

Troy reached his hand out, gently placing it on Gabriella's arm and rubbing gently. "Hey," he said softly gaining her attention by tugging gently on her arm. "I know you're worried, but we have protocol for this. Despite all of these things, if you agree to cooperate with us, we will give you immunity. And I know it's tough to know that you ended someone's life," Troy watched as she averted her eyes to the ground. Placing two fingers under her chin, he led her face back towards his, a slight grin toying on his lips before his face fell serious once more. "I know it's difficult to live with that, but you can talk to me about it. I've had to end people's lives many times out on the job. Part of me realizes that those people were doing the wrong thing anyways, but the other part of me has trouble accepting the fact that I ended someone's life. Just…I'm going to do all that I can to assure you will get your immunity and be safe throughout this whole process, and I want you to know if you need someone…I'm here."

"Thanks Tomas," Gabriella said softly, her chocolate brown eyes shining in the moonlight as she stared into his.

Troy nodded and glanced at the time on his phone. "We'd better get back." Troy stood up and held out his hand towards Gabriella. Gently she placed her smaller hand into his larger one, allowing him to help her stand up.

"Thank you Tomas."

Troy smiled, pulling her into his side. "Anytime," he said softly in her ear before releasing her. Troy pulled back and Gabriella raised her eyebrow seeing the mischievous look in his eyes.

"What?"

"Ten bucks says I beat you back," Troy bet her, his eyes sparkling in anticipation.

Gabriella got her own playful look in her eyes. She stepped closer to Troy, placing both of her hands on his chest, smiling to herself as she heard his breath catch in his throat. "It's on," she whispered in his ear before pushing off his chest and taking off.

Troy blinked his eyes, snapping out of his daze and sprinted after her. As they rounded the corner to the Montez estate, Gabriella looked over her shoulder and saw Troy closing in. The pride of winning propelled her forward as she ran her hardest, crossing into her front yard seconds before Troy.

She hunched over while trying to catch her breath and spotted Troy staring at her out of the corner of her eye, breathing deeply in attempts to catch his breath. Troy grinned at her and took a few steps forward, gently grabbing her shoulder and pulling her upright before taking her arm and guiding it to rest on the top of her head.

"It's easier to catch your breath this way," Troy informed her as she smiled in appreciation and brought her other hand to rest on her head. "That was very cruel by the way Gabi," Troy whispered, his breath brushing against her ear.

Gabriella looked over her shoulder at Troy, smirking at him. "Not my fault you get easily distracted."

Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his chest. "What can I say? You have that effect on me," Troy told her quietly, wrapping his arms more tightly around her as he felt her relax in his arms.

The sound of a door shutting inside caused Troy and Gabriella to break apart. "I guess we should get inside before they come looking for us," Gabriella joked. Troy nodded and placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the front door.

After reaching the top of the stairs, Troy walked with Gabriella towards her room at the end of the hall, stopping outside her door.

"Thanks for tonight Tomas. I really needed to get out for a bit."

"You're welcome," Troy told her sincerely. "I just hope you get all your homework finished."

"Oh right. Don't remind me," she muttered sarcastically.

"I better let you get to it. Goodnight Gabi." Troy smiled at her before leaning down and softly brushing his lips against her cheek.

With a smile toying on his lips, Troy pulled away watching as her eyes fluttered open and her cheeks flushed a light pink tint.

"Goodnight Tomas."

Troy sent her one last grin before turning to head down the hallway.

"Oh and Tomas?"

Troy spun around. "Yeah?"

"I expect that ten dollars tomorrow morning," Gabriella reminded him, smirking while she sent him a small wave and gently shut her door.

--

The sound of his phone buzzing woke Troy up the next morning. Groaning he reached over and saw he had one new text message. Flipping it open, he let his sleepy eyes focus on the message.

_6.45_

Troy looked at the clock next to his bed and moaned, seeing it was 6:25. Swinging his legs out of bed, Troy pulled on shorts and a t-shirt before making his way downstairs.

"Where the hell are you going? You told me yesterday to beat Sunset at 7:00 this morning," Raul yelled from the kitchen as Troy reached for the door handle.

"I said YOU had to be at Sunset at 7:00 AM. Juan has a list of stuff for you to do," Troy winked at him before heading outside.

Troy arrived at the park a few minutes later, spotting Chad already sitting on the bench, a newspaper in hand displaying the latest sports news.

Troy sat down, hearing the beep signaling they could talk.

"I take it you got the message," Troy commented, looking out at the few people making their way through the park.

"Yeah we did. This is a huge opportunity. We've decided to go with your idea."

"Good. You guys are going to need to get ready in the next few days, prepare some aliases."

"We're already working on it," Chad informed him.

"I'm planning on providing the names to Gregorio in three days, and he wants me to have my team come in two weeks from now to meet with him and then the family."

"Okay, we'll have everything ready to go by then. We'll prep our guys on what is going on in the meantime."

"Sounds good," Troy said quietly, his thoughts immediately going to Gabriella and wondering what was going to happen with her. "And the rest of my message?" He hinted, hoping he hadn't made a promise to Gabriella that couldn't be kept.

Chad took a deep breath. "I'm not going to lie; they weren't happy about it at first. But it has been approved. When this is done, she'll need to be fully debriefed, but given the situation, she'll get what you promised."

Troy sighed and felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders, immediately realizing the many good outcomes that would result from Gabriella getting full immunity, including the potential for the two of them to finally act on their feelings.

"You okay man?" Chad's voice brought Troy out of his thoughts.

Troy cleared his throat softly. "Yeah, just thinking about the next few weeks," Troy lied partially. "How's Angel?" Troy asked curiously, wanting so badly to see her again.

"She's doing okay, considering everything. J has been able to spend lots of time with her, but she misses you like crazy. Not a day goes by when she doesn't ask for you…usually multiple times a day. She worries some days that you're not coming back."

Troy felt a pain in his chest, just thinking of the confusion Angie was experiencing and how much she missed him.

"Well tell her I love her and I'll see her soon," Troy requested softly, wanting nothing more than for this all to be over.

"Will do man. Be safe. We'll work on the team and get back to you in a few days."

"Thanks man," Troy said while standing up, faintly hearing the pen beep as he jogged back towards the Montez estate, his thoughts racing a mile a minute while he anticipated the drastic turn things would take in the next few weeks.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN:** Hey everyone. Another chapter and its starting to get exciting. can you feel it? lol. Anyways we both had fun writing this chapter, to finally see things coming together...or are they? lmao. Anyways Erin wants to ask everyone to check out her bio page as she's added a few things dealing with her leaving fanfiction so check it out. Keep a look out for the next chapter for next saturday.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disguised Affection Chapter 25**

Troy sat at the desk in his room, scanning over the information on the sheet of paper one last time. A few days had passed since he last met up with Chad and he had just received a list of the names of the guys that would be on his team, along with information on where and when Troy would meet up with them that day to go over details.

Satisfied that everything appeared legitimate, Troy stood up and grabbed the paper before heading downstairs to talk with Gregorio. He knew he needed to keep Gregorio informed on the developments, making sure that everything appeared to be normal so no one caught on to what was really going on.

Troy knocked on the door that was cracked open and upon hearing Gregorio tell him to come in, Troy pushed open the door before stepping through and lightly shutting it behind him.

"Hello sir," Troy greeted Gregorio, who was seated behind his desk, papers strewed across it as he talked with Juan who was seated across from him.

"Ah. Tomas, what can I do for you?" Gregorio asked as Troy shook hands with the two men before taking a seat.

"I just got off the phone with my boys from Jersey and they are on their way to meet up with me to discuss Miami. Here's some information on them." Troy slid the piece of paper across the desk, his eyes on Gregorio while he reviewed the paper.

"This looks good. We'll need to run some background checks on these guys, but right now things appear legitimate. What time are you expecting them?"

"In about an hour."

Gregorio's mouth thinned, "Everyone will be making runs and I have some business to attend to. So, I insist on Raul being with you since I don't want him here alone because of the present situation."

Troy couldn't believe it. This could definitely screw up his plans. His mouth went dry, but he knew that he couldn't draw any unwanted attention to himself by refusing Gregorio's request. "Yes sir," he choked out.

Gregorio nodded his head and dismissed him with a wave before returning to his conversation with Juan while Troy opened the door. As Troy walked out into the hallway, he felt like screaming. This wasn't something he had anticipated to happen. Everything was going so smoothly but now he had to deal with the one person that he knew would find a way to put him in a predicament.

--

Troy rushed into him bedroom slamming his hand down on the desk in frustration. His mind reeling as he tried to figure out how he was supposed to make this work.

"Tomas?" Troy turned to see Gabriella standing in the doorway with a contemplative look on her face. Gabriella stepped inside Troy's room, softly shutting the door behind her. "What's wrong?"

"Aside from the fact that your dad just screwed everything up for me? Everything's perfect," Troy muttered in a sarcastic tone.

"What happened?" Gabriella asked in a concerned voice, ignoring his sarcasm.

"What do you think happened? What always happens? You're not that oblivious to figure out who could cause me to get this pissed off, are you?" Troy retorted back, his eyebrows raised in annoyance.

"Don't you dare get all pissed off at me, Tomas. I came in here to make sure you are okay, and if you're gonna treat me like shit then I'll just leave you to it," Gabriella responded, her brown eyes turning darker as she stared back at him before spinning around and reaching for the door knob.

Realizing what a stupid mistake he'd made, Troy quickly made his way across the room, lightly grabbing the hand that was reaching for the door knob, while placing his other hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," he said softly, spinning her around to face him. "I didn't mean to take this out on you. I'm sorry. Please don't take off."

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Gabriella nodded her head, her eyes softening while she looked up at him.

"So are you going to tell me what happened with my dad?"

Troy sighed, running his hands through his hair. "I went to talk to your dad about my meeting today with the guys who we're bringing on for our new Southeast branch, and your dad insisted that I take Cruz with me to that meeting."

"Aside from you being annoyed about having to spend time around Raul, I don't see why you would be so pissed off about this. You have been around Raul everyday pretty much for the past couple of weeks. What's the issue?"

"The issue!? The issue is that the guys I'm meeting with today work with me."

A look of understanding filled Gabriella's eyes as things began to make sense for her. "And you guys were going to discuss the takedown today?"

"Yes, this is one of our only chances for us all to meet up and go over what's gonna go down. And now, not only do I have to spend a few hours with Cruz, we can't discuss things like we were going to." Troy said in a raised voice causing Gabriella to nervously glance back at the door, afraid someone would overhear.

"Tomas, you need to keep it down." She warned him prompting him to groan in frustration, beginning to pace back and forth once again.

"Can't you meet up with them again some other time?" Gabriella asked softly, trying to keep him from blowing up.

"No. This was pretty much our only shot. I mean, we have a few weeks before this all goes down. I can't be meeting up with these guys too much because that'll draw suspicion." Troy ran his hands through his hair before groaning in frustration once more. "I had it all planned out, and now it's all screwed up because I have to spend the afternoon babysitting Cruz."

Gabriella stepped forward, placing her hands on Troy's shoulders in attempts to calm him down. "Tomas, listen to me, it's going to work out, okay?" Troy shook his head in disbelief, trying to shrug her hands off of him but Gabriella just tightened her grip in response.

Finally succeeding in twisting his body out of Gabriella's grip, Troy went back to pacing across the room, muttering to himself under his breath as he went.

"Sure Chief, I can handle this assignment. Just go in for a few months, take them down. It'll be simple. How wrong I was!"

"Tomas," Gabriella called out softly, trying to keep him from drawing attention from someone else who could be nearby.

Her attempts proved futile as Troy continued to pace, his hands clenched at his sides. "It was all going to work out, and now, we can't meet up and formulate our strategy together. Now, they're not going to be as prepared as they could. Now there's more pressure on Chad and I to make sure we don't screw this up."

"Tomas, stop," Gabriella tried once more unsuccessfully to stop Troy's pacing. "TOMAS!" Realizing she wasn't getting through to him with that method, Gabriella pounced, knocking her body into his, almost making him tumble over with her force.

Crashing her lips onto his Gabriella felt his body first stiffen at her lips against his own, then he relaxed against her, sweeping his arms around Gabriella's waist, pulling her body flush against his as Gabriella sucked on Troy's bottom lip.

As Gabriella released Troy's lip he slipped his tongue into her mouth, feeling Gabriella's tongue move in rhythm with his own, her hands snaking up to wrap around Troy's neck, her fingers curling around the soft hair at the nap of his neck.

Suddenly Gabriella pulled away, panting as a blush covered her cheeks.

"Tomas, we-," she tried to reason.

Troy interrupted by capturing her lips with his own again, deftly slipping his tongue into her mouth, curling around her own tongue as Gabriella's fingers knotted back in Troy's hair, pulling him closer to her.

Releasing her lips Troy took a much needed breath before attaching his lips to the smooth skin of her neck, nibbling on the exposed skin as Gabriella tilted her head to the side to allow him easier access as letting a soft moan escape as Troy found her sweet spot.

Pushing lightly on Gabriella's shoulders until she fell to the bed underneath her Troy quickly clambered after her until he was straddling her waist, feeling his body react to the situation before he even dipped his head to meet her eager lips again.

In a flurry of lips, tongues and hands the passion in the room soon spiked with Gabriella letting out a soft moan as Troy slipped his hand under the t-shirt she was wearing to caress her taut stomach. His tongue flicked teasingly against her own, not letting her capture his tongue and gain control of the kiss.

Soon air was needed and the pair broke apart, their faces so close they could feel the other's hot breath floating across their faces as they gulped in the fresh air, their minds spinning from what had just happened.

"Wow." He panted.

She nodded her head in agreement as she tried to regulate her breathing, "What no playing the blame game this time?" she joked.

Troy caressed her cheek while he looked into her eyes, "Nope. I would gladly take the blame for that kiss." Rolling her eyes she stood up smoothing her clothes down before running her fingers through her hair, "No keep the hair, I like it." He winked at her.

Pushing him away playfully she rolled her eyes, "Aren't you the charmer?"

Troy shrugged, smiling cheekily at her. Gabriella blushed before trying to wiggle out from under him, only to have him tighten his grasp on her.

"Tomas," she whined. "Let me up."

Troy shook his head, leaning down to bury his face in her neck. "Nope. I'm perfectly comfortable here, aren't you?"

Gabriella sighed, trying once more to push him off of her. "Tomas, as much as I love this, we both have stuff to do today, including you needing to figure out what to do about your meeting in forty-five minutes."

Troy groaned, reluctantly pushing himself off of her before sitting at the edge of the bed. "Don't remind me."

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN:** Hey everyone. Yes we know we missed last weekend and we are truly sorry. First we couldn't decide where we wanted the chapter to go, then corri had school stuff, then my internet went out, and THEN i just couldn't get into the groove for writing. So even though its a week late, here is the next chapter. Also we would like to bring two things to people attention, we both have lives outside of fanfiction. We update and write when we can, so please don't pester us about it. Second, it was brought to our attention that there is a rumor going around that the reason Erin is leaving FF is because she's pregnant. We would like to say that, that is completely false. She is very much NOT pregnant. READ.REVIEW.ENJOY!


	27. Chapter 27

**Disguised Affection Chapter 26**

Troy placed his phone in his pocket after he finished typing out a text to his assigned anonymous FBI number, informing Chad that the plans had changed and he wouldn't be alone. Grabbing his wallet and a set of keys off his dresser, Troy placed them in his other pocket before making his way out of the room towards the kitchen where he knew Raul was eating lunch.

As he neared the staircase, Troy peered to the end of the hall, and spotted Gabriella sitting at her desk doing some homework. With a quick glance to make sure no one else was around, Troy slipped quietly into her room, gently shutting the door before sneaking quietly towards her.

After momentarily getting distracted by how cute he thought she looked as she nervously chewed her pencil and twirled her hair, Troy reached his hands down, poking her sides unexpectedly causing her to jump up out of her seat.

"Tomas!? What was that for?" Gabriella spun around, smacking him lightly on the shoulder while Troy struggled to control his laughter.

"You know, you look really cute when you get all angry," Troy said in a little more than a whisper, his hand gently brushing down her forearm.

Troy grinned as a slight pink tint appeared on her cheeks before she looked away. "So," she said, clearing her throat softly before changing the subject, "are you ready for the meeting?"

Troy sighed, removing his hand from her arm. "Not really, but this is as good as it's gonna get. From what I hear, everyone is prepared, so now we just have to hope Raul doesn't screw up our plans." Troy shifted his eyes towards the wall on his left, staring blankly at it while he felt his frustrations rising once more.

"Hey," Gabriella whispered softly, tugging on his wrist until his eyes connected with hers. "It's gonna work out alright? I know having Raul there presents a problem, but you're smarter than him Tomas. You and those guys will figure this all out," Gabriella finished, her hand traveling from his wrist slowly down to his hand, grasping it lightly.

"Thanks," Troy told her softly, his lips tugging up into a smile as he stared directly into her eyes, keeping a firm grip on her hand when she shyly tried to pull away. Troy's thumb gently caressed the top of her hand as the two lost track of everything else for a few moments. The beeping of Troy's phone interrupted their moment, their eyes breaking contact while Troy dug in his pocket with one hand, turning off his phone.

"You'd better go," Gabriella said under her breath, still feeling butterflies in her stomach from the way Troy was looking at her and holding her hand.

Troy nodded reluctantly. "Be safe at school today, alright?"

"I will," Gabriella grinned. "You be safe too."

Troy nodded, his eyes traveling from hers down to her lips. Unable to resist the temptation, Troy leaned over taking her by surprise as he gently captured her lips for a few moments. Gabriella tentatively brought her hand that wasn't being held by Troy's up to his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck while she felt his other hand gently caressing her waist. The kiss, although much different than the ones they had shared less than an hour earlier, still ignited a whirl of emotions as the two got lost in the feelings of their lips moving softly together.

Reluctantly they both pulled apart, their minds whirling from the memories of the few kisses they had shared that day. Their faces broke out into identical smiles, before Troy leaned down, unable to resist placing his lips on hers once more.

"Bye Gabi," he whispered against her lips, kissing her softly one more time. Dropping her hand, Troy walked towards the door, the two sharing one last smile before Troy quietly opened the door and headed downstairs.

Troy took a deep breath as he neared the kitchen in attempts to control his composure. He knew he couldn't let his anger get to him or the meeting could turn out even worse.

"Let's go Cruz," Troy ordered, taking his keys out of his pocket and tossing them in the air to himself.

"Go where Martinez? Today's my day off. I'm not going anywhere," Raul said stubbornly while taking a bite of his huge club sandwich.

Troy shook his head and walked across the room, grabbing Raul's shoulder and pulling his chair back from the table. "Maybe you forgot Cruz, but since your screw up, you no longer get days off. In fact, I was put in charge of you. So I don't care what the hell you think. Get your ass out of that chair and let's go."

"I'll do whatever the hell I want Martinez. I don't care if you kissed up to Gregorio and are now above me in rank. I can still kick your ass whenever I want to. So I advise you to get back to what you were doing and let me finish my lunch." Raul roughly brushed Troy's hand off of his shoulder and went to take another bite of his sandwich.

Before the sandwich could even reach Raul's mouth, Troy knocked it out of his hands in one swipe before pushing Raul's chair back further from the table. "Maybe you've taken one too many shots to the head from me Raul, but if you recall, every time we've fought, I'm the one who's come out on top. You talk big, but you certainly can't back it up. So you can come with me willingly or I'll make you come with me. I have no problem with putting a few bullets in you to make you cooperate, in case that's slipped your mind too," Troy taunted while harshly slapping Raul's bullet wound on his arm.

Raul grimaced gripping onto his shoulder while swiping at Troy's hand. Troy grinned and tossed his key s in the air once more. "Don't waste any more of my time Cruz. Trust me, you don't want to."

Troy walked towards the garage, smirking in triumph as he heard Raul's chair squeaking across the floor. A few minutes later Troy and Raul were both in the car, Raul with his sandwich in hand as Troy drove towards the warehouse where they were meeting the guys.

"So where are you dragging me off to today?" Raul questioned, crumbs falling from his mouth as he stuffed the last bite of sandwich in. "Another set of floors for me to scrub?" Raul asked sarcastically.

"Keep your mouth shut or we'll arrange something like that," Troy threatened, keeping his eyes on the road.

Troy pulled into an alley a few moments later, parking the car before getting out and walking to the warehouse door on his left with Raul right behind him.

Troy walked into the office in the corner, pulling up a chair behind the desk. "Sit over there, and keep your mouth shut." Troy ordered Raul, pointing to a chair near the corner of the room.

"What the hell are we doing here Martinez?" Raul asked, ignoring Troy's orders.

"I'm here to meet with some people about the new Southeast division. You are here to keep your mouth shut and stay the hell out of our business."

Raul chuckled to himself, leaning back in his seat while Troy busied himself looking over some papers. Seconds later, there was a loud knock on the warehouse door. Troy pushed his chair back and made his way towards the side door, opening it up to see Chad, Jason, Zeke, and two other guys standing there. Troy smirked at their appearances, all of them switching somewhat to look more Latino. Troy and Chad looked at each other, silently communicating that Raul was in the office. The five guys filed inside before following Troy through to the office.

"Take a seat," Troy told them once they entered the office. As the five guys all pulled up chairs around the desk, Troy glanced over at Raul to see him intently watching the five newcomers.

"As you guys know, the reason we're here is to discuss the new division we are opening in Miami. You were all brought here because I feel like you will all be important assets to our team down there. Working together at the New Jersey location for the past seven years will be important in helping our business be successful down in Miami. Of course we have to look into your background, but we feel that you are all up to the challenge of helping me run that division."

Troy looked at each guy, seeing them each nod in affirmation.

"We will be heading down there in a few weeks to get things started. You all will need to relocate down to Miami. We will have three front companies down there where we will run our business. Roberto, Adrian, and Enrique," Troy said looking from Chad to Zeke and then to Jason, "you will each be in charge of one of these companies making sure business runs smoothly for the front company but more importantly for all of the deals that go through your area."

The three guys nodded, showing they understood their assignments.

"Good. Marcel and Anthony," Troy addressed the two bigger men. "You will be out on runs, using force when necessary to get our pay. Questions?"

"Yeah," Raul piped up, smirking at Troy.

"Shut the hell up Cruz. You five, questions?"

Chad cleared his throat, "How many other workers do you have ready to help package and smuggle?"

"We have a few who have more experience who we are sending down there, and then we have a sufficient amount of packers and smugglers for each location."

"How many people will make up our team? When I was working out of Chicago three years back, we had four people at each front company, not including the workers," Zeke asked, his slip up not missed by Raul who's eyebrows raised in interest.

Troy had a fearful look in his eyes as he also recognized the conflicting story, quickly trying to figure out how to fix the situation. However Raul didn't miss Troy's look, smirking to himself even more.

"I thought you said all of you were in Jersey for the past seven years?" Raul pointed out, leaning forward in his chair to glance at Zeke.

Zeke stammered, everyone's mind racing to think of a cover story.

"We did some work in Chicago in addition to the work out of Jersey," Chad supplied helpfully, however not convincingly enough.

"You know, you probably should disclose that next time. Tomas here didn't seem to be aware of that. Or maybe he just screwed up again," Raul said, smirking at Troy.

"I told you before Cruz. I won't hesitate to shoot your ass to get you to shut up," Troy sent him a glare before turning back to the five guys in front of him.

"To answer your question from before Adrian, there will be at least two at each location making our team about seven people. I will be contacting the five of you with more details in the upcoming weeks. For now be preparing for transferring down to Miami. We'll contact you when things get settled."

Troy stood up and shook each of their hands before ushering them out of the building, exchanging a worried look with Chad at the earlier slip up. After shutting the door, Troy made his way back to the office, gathering up the papers on the desk.

"So tell me Martinez, do you normally do such a shitty job?"

Troy ignored him, placing the rest of the papers in a file folder before sticking it under his arm.

"I mean obviously you had no clue about their work the past few years. I thought you knew these guys from back home in Jersey."

"I'd advise you to stop right there Cruz. Don't push your luck."

"Did you even know these guys? Did you just pick some random guys and take their word without knowing anything about them? Maybe you are just that stupid," Raul continued, trying to get under Troy's skin.

Seconds later a loud gunshot echoed through the warehouse, as a bullet grazed past Raul's ear putting a bullet hole in a shelf behind him.

"Next time I won't miss Cruz," Troy threatened, placing his gun back in his belt. "Now get your ass out to the car."

Troy exited the office, slamming the warehouse door before getting in the car. Troy took a deep breath, trying to figure out how he was going to get Raul off track so he wouldn't figure things out. Moments later, the passenger door opened and Raul got in.

Troy could feel his eyes on him as he started the engine.

"You know, I saw the look in your eyes when your man there slipped up. If you think you and your threats are going to keep me from finding out what's going on here Martinez, you're mistaken. I've never trusted you for a second, and now I know I had good reason. You can trust me on this, I'll be watching you more closely from now on."

Before Raul could utter another word, Troy's left fist connected with Raul's left jaw, sending Raul's head barreling into the window behind him, effectively knocking him out. Troy smirked before putting the car in reverse, and making his way back towards the Montez estate, racking his brain the whole way as he tried to figure out his next step.

* * *

Corri & Erin AN: Hey, hope you all enjoyed the ch. Sorry that its a day late but i hope you all understand. We're trying to write as fast as we can so we can get the next chs out. Also DA is starting to come to a close so that means after this Erin is leaving fanfiction. So review and let us know what you think.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disguised Affection Chapter 27**

Troy pulled into the garage, putting the car in park before glancing to his right to see Raul still knocked out, his head leaning on the window and a trickle of blood dripping from his lower lip. Troy got out of the car and headed inside straight to the kitchen, filling up a glass of water before turning back around and heading back into the car. Troy opened back up the driver's door, and tossed the cup of water at Raul.

"What the hell?" Raul yelled out, wiping the water from his eyes.

"Looks like you fell asleep Cruz," Troy said before shutting the door and walking away as Raul angrily threw his open.

"I'd watch it if I were you Martinez. Now that I know that something else is going on with you, I wouldn't push my luck," Raul taunted, smirking as Troy paused.

"Cruz, I wouldn't threaten me if I were you." Troy warned him before taking a few more steps, pushing the garage door open. "By the way," Troy said, turning back around pointing at his own lip, "you have a little something right here."

Troy smirked as he saw Raul wince while reaching up to wipe the corner of his lip.

Troy walked back inside and headed through the kitchen, stopping behind the wall next to the doorway as he heard Michael and Gabriella yelling in the next room.

"Michael, back off. I told you earlier, I'm not going with you guys."

"What do you mean you won't go with us on this run?"

"Have you taken one too many hits to the head Michael? Hard of hearing all of the sudden? I told you, I have tests that I need to study for."

"Are you seriously telling me that you are going to skip out on your family? Your future is with this family Gabriella. You can't just skip out and expect to get all the benefits. It doesn't work that way. This isn't just a business; it's our family. I can't believe you're refusing to do this."

"In case you missed it, my future is in school, not here. I don't want to be doing this crap for the rest of my life."

"In school?!" Troy winced as Michael's voice raised, knowing this conversation was about to get even more heated. "Are you seriously telling me you're going to turn your backs on us like that? I still can't believe you're wasting all of that time and money."

"It's not a waste. Sorry my dream involves more than drugs, money, and evading the law. Mom inspired me more than that. Something you should have picked up too."

"I love how you're always using mom to justify this," Michael said sarcastically. "What you don't know about Mom is that she knew what it took to put food on this table. You put mom in this savior bracket, when she was just as much a part of this business as we are."

Troy heard a loud smack and knew that Gabriella's hand had just connected with Michael's face and decided that he needed to step in.

"Fuck you Michael! The second that I get a chance, I'm gone from this family. Mom wanted better for us than getting caught up in this. She wanted us to have a better life than this. Maybe you're ready to forget her, but I won't ever let that happen."

Troy heard it get quiet for a few moments, and glanced around the corner in time to see Michael storm up to Gabriella and grab her shoulders roughly, "You're acting like a conceited bitch, like you're so much better than us." Gabriella stumbled as Michael pushed her away roughly.

Without thinking, Troy's body went straight into action and rushed up to Michael before punching him in the jaw watching as he stumbled backwards.

"What the-"

"You and I haven't had any problems Michael, but push her again, and I can assure you that will change."

"Just because my Dad put you in charge of the new branch, don't think you can go ordering me around Martinez."

"I'm not ordering you to do anything. I'm warning you that if you so much as touch her like that again, me and you will have a serious problem."

"Tell me something Martinez, are you so quick to defend her because I pushed her, or is it because she's got to you like every other new guy? Because that's how it's always been with her."

Troy's anger started to take control of his body as he felt his hands ball up into fists again. Through clenched teeth he spat out his parting words, "Fucking try to touch her again. I promise you the outcome will be different than this time." Turning, he put his arm around Gabriella's waist and gently pulling her with him as he ushered her up the stairs towards her room.

As soon as her bedroom door was shut he walked up to her and started inspecting every visible inch of her, "Are you hurting anywhere?" He asked, his hands ran down her arm while looking into her dark brown eyes.

"I'm fine Tomas." She said softly.

"Are you sure?"

Gabriella eyes bore into his, "I said I'm fine Tomas, I'm not that freaking breakable. You don't have to treat me like a child." She stated sharply.

Troy's own anger from moments before found its way to the surface, "I'm sorry that I care so much about you. I'll try to not fucking show it next time."

"Don't talk to me like that, Tomas. You know I care for you too," Gabriella spat out, her eyes darkening seething with a new anger.

With her words Troy pulled Gabriella to him, crashing his lips against hers, wasting no time parting them with his tongue and plunging inside.

His tongue probed deep into Gabriella's mouth, her hands finding their way into his hair to clutch at the tendrils that covered the base of his neck, pulling them deeper into the hungry kiss. Troy's hands found their way to the hem of Gabriella's shirt, yanking it over her head and breaking their kiss.

As Gabriella fumbled with the many buttons of his shirt Troy nipped at her neck, loving the way she hissed out at the slight pain.

Finally Troy's shirt was unbuttoned and Gabriella pushed it from his shoulders before making quick work of his belt, tugging his pants down until he stood in just his boxers.

Feeling quite underdressed Troy used one hand to undo the clasp of Gabriella's bra as the other hand undone her jeans, pulling them down to pool at her feet, letting her step out of them before he pushed her back slightly, sending her crashing to the bed.

Troy climbed on after her, straddling her body as he captured her lips again, causing Gabriella to moan into the heated kiss.

Gabriella could feel Troy's erection between her thighs, he was rocking backwards and forwards ever so slightly and the friction against Gabriella's wet core was driving them both insane.

Needing to have skin on skin contact with him Gabriella removed his boxers, grasping his length in her hand she started to pump her hand and Troy grunted at the feeling of her tiny hand working wonders on him.

Troy managed to remove Gabriella's panties despite her mind numbing actions and he plunged two fingers into her, causing her to cry out momentarily before she used her free hand to pull Troy down completely on top of her, the hard planes of his chest against the softness of her breasts arousing the pair even more.

Moving his fingers faster Troy reached on the ground for his jeans, producing his brown leather wallet and then a green foil packet which Gabriella readily snatched from his hands, using her teeth to open.

Gabriella stilled her hand before sliding the latex glove down Troy's length and then positioning him at her entrance, preparing herself for his entry.

Troy removed his fingers from inside Gabriella, eager to feel her warmth around his now throbbing member.

"Ready?" He asked gruffly as he placed his tip inside her.

"Fuck me, Tomas," Gabriella panted, pulling his mouth back down to hers.

Troy thrust inside of Gabriella in one quick action, pulling out and repeating before he set the pace, feeling Gabriella's body move with his, her hips meeting his every thrust.

Moving his lips down her neck till he reached her bare chest Troy took a nipple into his mouth, swirling it with his tongue before biting down gently, causing Gabriella to arch her back in pleasure, taking him deeper.

Moving to the other breast Troy moved his hands down to Gabriella's thighs, pushing them back against the bed, opening her further so he could go deeper, hitting every spot.

Gabriella's fingernails dug into Troy's back as she was struck by her first orgasm, the pleasure washing over her as she struggled not to call out, biting down on the skin of Troy's shoulder in her bid to not alert her family to what was going on.

Troy grunted as her walls constricted around him and he felt himself growing close to his own end.

"Tomas! Oh Tomas, fuck," Gabriella muttered as she raised her legs to wrap around his waist, pulling him into her even more.

"Do you want it harder, baby?" Troy muttered back. "Faster? Deeper?"

"Yes! Oh god yes," Gabriella replied her voice raspy.

Troy trapped her wrists against the bed with his hands as he fastened his pace, surprised when Gabriella's hips still raised up to meet his every move, his length hitting her g-spot with every thrust causing Gabriella to quickly reach her second orgasm, her eyes clenching closed in pleasure as Troy reached his own end, her walls milking him as his thrusts slowed down. He carefully pulled out and disposed the condom in the waste basket by her bed. Pulling her closer he managed to wiggle them both between the sheets and pulled them up to cover them.

Looking over her face he smiled, it felt good to finally let go of all inhibitions and love her the way he wanted. Not having to analyze everything and just doing what his heart desired. "That wasn't what I had in mind for our first time, but it works." He said breathlessly.

He heard her giggle as she turned over to face him, "Thank you." She whispered softly.

"For what?"

"For standing up for me earlier, for getting me out of here, for letting me feel again."

Troy smiled and planted a soft kiss on her forehead before she snuggled into him, "Anytime."

Both laid there, not needing to say anything else as everything was now in the open. They both knew that this changed everything, and both were content with just that.

**AN: hey guys! we know its a bit later and we are sorry, but we hope you understand. We also hope that you all enjoyed the chapter and hope that you review.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disguised Affection Chapter 28**

Troy woke up an hour later to the feeling of someone snuggling deeper into his side. He opened up his eyes to see Gabriella's brunette hair spread across his chest, her warm cheek softly resting against his chest as her even breaths hit it softly. Unable to resist, Troy leaned closer, gently kissing the top of her hair for a few moments before tightening his arms around her waist.

Troy felt a lazy smile tug at his lips when she let out a soft sigh and brushed her lips against his bare chest. After kissing him softly there, Gabriella slightly maneuvered her body, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with a look that Troy couldn't quite place.

"Hey," Troy breathed out softly, bringing his hand up to caress her cheek.

"Hi," Gabriella whispered back, her cheeks turning to a light shade of pink as he continued to brush the pad of his thumb against her cheek.

Troy dropped his hand down to her arm, and pulled her closer, unable to fight off the temptation of feeling her lips against his. Troy smiled into the kiss as he felt her move her body more on top of his, and the sweet kiss soon turned passionate as their hands roamed and their tongues brushed against one another.

When oxygen became a necessity, the two separated, taking a few moments to catch their breath as they stared into each other's eyes. Breaking their stares, Troy brought his hand up to rub his right eye, feeling like something was irritating it. Gabriella's eyebrows suddenly raised as a shocked look appeared on her face.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked, hoping she wasn't regretting what had just happened between them.

Gabriella just stared at him more before bringing her hand softly up to rest on his face, her thumb brushing below his right eye.

"Gabi," Troy prompted again softly, his thumbs rubbing circles into her lower back. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella nodded her head softly, her thumb still grazing the skin underneath his eye.

"Yeah, it's just…," Gabriella paused for a moment before continuing. "Um, your eyes…one's blue."

Realization dawned on Troy, and he blinked his eyes a few times, feeling his contact suddenly underneath his eyelid.

"Damn it," Troy cursed softly, gently rolling Gabriella off of him. Quickly he got up, slipping on his boxers, jeans and shirt, before rushing towards the door. Making sure no one in the family would see him, Troy walked quickly towards the bathroom, before adjusting his contact.

After seeing his brown eyes look back at him in the mirror, Troy took a deep breath, cursing himself for screwing up so much in the past few days. He was thankful that it was just Gabriella who saw and not the rest of the family. He didn't even want to contemplate what a nightmare it would be if someone else in the family noticed that.

Troy didn't know what was wrong with him. He had never before had so many screw ups on a case. Even though most had been minor and fixable, he couldn't help but think of what could happen due to the slip up that had occurred the previous day.

With this thought still running through his mind, Troy made his way back to Gabriella's bedroom. After shutting her door quietly, he glanced over to see her sitting at her desk looking at her laptop, now dressed in the t-shirt and boxers he had let her borrow the week before.

Troy stepped closer to her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders from behind. Worried that she was angry at him, Troy felt a wave of relief wash over him as she tilted her head up to grin at him, softly kissing his arm once before turning back to face her computer.

"Your eye feel better?" She asked, quickly typing an ending to an email before closing the window.

"Yeah, it's okay now. Are you okay?"

Gabriella nodded before standing up from her seat and wrapping her arms tightly around Troy's waist as she buried her face in his chest.

Troy sighed in relief and wrapped his arms around her lower back as his chin rested on top of her head.

"So I take it your eyes aren't really brown."

Troy chuckled and shook his head.

"And your hair?"

"Normally dark brown," Troy answered.

Gabriella giggled quietly before growing silent.

"That a problem?" Troy asked, breaking the silence. "You not attracted to me anymore because you're partial to the black hair and brown eyes?"

Gabriella giggled, before bringing her head up so she was staring at his brown eyes.

"No, I think the blue is really pretty. It's just hard for me to imagine the brown hair and blue eyes."

"You don't know how glad I'll be when this is over and I can stop worrying about dying my hair every few weeks and putting in these freakin' contacts," Troy admitted, smiling as Gabriella's laughter filled the room.

"I'm serious!" Troy continued as her laughter died down. "It's such a hassle to constantly be worrying about this along with everything else. I'll be glad when it's all done."

"I can't wait for it to be over either, Tomas," Gabriella sighed, before snuggling into his chest once more. "You know, I have been so worried for my family these past few weeks and what would happen to them after everything goes down. And I still am a little bit, but last night after talking with Michael, I realize just how far off they all are. If this continues, who knows where they will all end up. I know they will never change on their own, and despite what Michael thinks, Mom wanted more for us than this life."

Troy rubbed her back soothingly as he listened to her speak, feeling slightly better about the whole situation, knowing Gabriella's reservations were mostly gone.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this Gabi," Troy whispered. "But, we're going to finish this out and get you out of this life like your mom wanted, alright?"

Troy smiled as Gabriella leaned up and gently kissed the corner of his mouth in response.

Gabriella brought her hand up to Troy's hair, running her fingers through it softly. "How did things go with the meeting?"

Troy took a deep breath, shaking his head softly.

"Bad?" Gabriella asked gently, sensing his frustration.

"Horrible," Troy told her, pulling her more tightly to him.

"What happened?" Gabriella prompted as Troy sighed to himself.

"One of my guys slipped up. He said something that contradicted our story, and Raul picked up on it."

Gabriella's jaw dropped in disbelief as she looked up at Troy.

"Did he say anything?"

Troy shook his head. "No, he just told me he was going to be watching me more closely, waiting for me to slip up again. I don't think he knows anything, other than something isn't right."

"You think he'll tell my dad?" Gabriella asked worriedly.

"No," Troy assured her. "After what Raul's done, no one in this family would believe him unless he had substantial evidence. Right now, it's his word against mine. But that doesn't mean he's not going to stop trying to find out more. He's going to be waiting for me to slip up again, which lately seems to be happening a lot."

Gabriella brought her hands up to rub his shoulders in a soothing manner.

"Tomas, you'll be okay. Let's face it. Raul's an idiot," she said with a grin, Troy chuckling in response. "And there's no way he can outsmart you in all of this."

Troy shook his head as he looked into her eyes. He wanted to believe her, but he knew that from the situations from the past few days showed he could easily screw everything up.

"All it takes is one mistake Gabi. All Raul needs is a name or one other small piece of evidence, and he can run with it."

Gabriella tightened her grip on Troy, her hands gripping his shoulders as he rested his cheek on her head.

"Tomas, you can do this," Gabriella assured him, pulling back to look up at him. "We can do this. I'm here to help you….no reservations about my family anymore. I want out, and I know you do too."

Troy smiled at her in appreciation before leaning down to softly brush his lips against hers. After pulling back, Troy glanced over at the clock, realizing it was almost dinner time.

"We better go downstairs before someone comes up here and we cause more trouble. I'll let you get changed, and I'll see you downstairs," Troy told her, gently kissing her forehead before releasing her from his grip and heading downstairs.

Troy walked into the living room to see Raul sitting there, watching a football game. Troy walked past him, glancing into the kitchen noticing that the cook had prepared the dinner but that no one else was in there.

"Where is everyone?" Troy asked Raul, rolling his eyes as Raul turned off the TV and smirked at him.

"Worried or something Martinez?"

Troy shook his head. "I have nothing to worry about Cruz," Troy told him confidently. "You're the one who needs to be worried. I have their trust, unlike you. Don't forget that."

Raul stood up from his seat on the couch, walking up to Troy and stopping a few feet away from him.

"You may have somehow kissed up and gained their trust, but we both know you won't have it for long. I'm just sitting here, waiting for you to slip up, which is inevitable. You know, I saw something interesting when I came inside last night," Raul said, an evil grin tugging at his mouth. "I went to the kitchen to get a drink and I heard Michael and Gabriella yelling. Being the curious person that I am, I walked closer, just in time to see you rush out and punch Michael."

Troy stared at Raul with a straight face, wondering exactly where he was going with this, but not giving Raul the satisfaction of seeing any worry on his face.

"Now, I'm not the wisest guy," Raul started.

"You could say that again," Troy interrupted sarcastically.

"But," Raul continued, ignoring Troy's comment, "I would think that punching him was not the best way to keep in good standing with him."

"Listen to you, giving me advice on how to remain in good standing with someone," Troy chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"And not only do you punch him," Raul continued, "but then you go and threaten him. And what for? All for this girl that has you wrapped around her finger. The one who you step in to defend any chance you get. Now, I'm starting to think that you're developing quite the soft spot for her. I wonder how far you would go to protect her," Raul taunted, knowing he was getting to him.

Troy stepped closer, his jaw set as he stared at Raul. "Lay a finger on her, and I swear you won't be around the next day."

"You see?" Raul smirked evilly. "I knew it. You're so quick to protect her. I wonder if she even feels the same way about you…," Raul trailed off for a moment, hoping to get to Troy anyway he could. "Either way though, I'd be careful if I were you Tomas. You never know if someone might decide to use her to get to you."

Troy clenched his fist and brought it up, connecting it to Raul's jaw in one swift motion. Troy smirked as he saw Raul grimace, the cut on his lip from earlier busting open once again.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Cruz. Next time you threaten her life, I guarantee you I won't be using my fist to send a message."

Troy glared at him before spinning around to exit the room, continuing to walk as he heard Raul speak up.

"You know, I find it interesting how much you seem to care for her Martinez," Raul said, his voice raising as Troy continued t walk away. "It'd be a shame if she was just stringing you along. It's a tricky business that we're all in. You never know who you can trust."

Troy shook his head, his frustration rising as he left the room. It took all of his control to keep from spinning around and putting a bullet in Raul's head then and there. After everything Raul had done to him and Gabriella, Troy was feeling more and more tempted to take Raul out of the picture.

Troy pulled out his phone, quickly sending off a message. He knew at this point, he needed to talk to Chad to figure out what to do about Raul's newly acquired knowledge from earlier that day.

As Troy rounded the corner, he bumped into Gabriella who was lurking around the corner from the living room.

"Sorry," she apologized quietly, her hands resting on his forearms as Troy's reflexively landed on her waist.

Troy gave her a small smile, showing that he wasn't upset at her.

"You okay?" She asked softly, Troy immediately knowing she was referring to the conversation she had just overheard between him and Raul.

Troy nodded, grinning as she hugged him gently, her fingers tracing small patterns on his back.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, I need to go out for a jog to clear my mind," Troy told her, pulling apart from their hug but keeping his hands on her waist.

"You want me to come with you?"Gabriella looked up at Troy, confused as he began to laugh. "What's so funny?" She asked, grinning slightly as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Nothing, it's just you said you didn't like running, and now you're always offering to come with me. Can't get enough of me, huh?" Troy asked her, raising his eyebrows in amusement.

"Shut up, Tomas," Gabriella said, smacking his arm playfully. "I just wanted to offer in case you needed someone to talk to."

Troy smiled at her before pulling her into his chest, placing a soft kiss on top of her head. "Nah, I just need to go run for a bit. Thank you though," Troy whispered, his lips brushing against her head as he talked.

"You're welcome," Gabriella whispered back, against his chest.

"I'll be back by dinner time," Troy told her softly, brushing his lips against her forehead once more before releasing her from their embrace.

Troy quickly jogged upstairs, changing into his running gear. His phone beeped and he glanced at it, opening the message there.

_5 minutes. _

Troy closed his phone and placed it in his pocket before jogging downstairs and beginning his run towards the park, hoping that he and Chad would be able to figure out how to successfully finish this job in spite of all the recent complications.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for all the reviews last chapter. We enjoy reading them, and we appreciate you all understanding that our lives have been busy lately. We hope you liked this chapter. Let us know what you thought!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disguised Affection Chapter 29**

Troy sat down on the bench with his hands on his head, his chest burning as he was trying to catch his breath. The run was usually just for a cover but today he really needed it to help clear his head.

He knew things could fall apart at any moment. He had already had so many close calls, more so than on any other undercover job he had been on. And he couldn't understand it. He normally thrived on undercover ops, but this time he could feel himself slipping up too often. Hearing movement behind him, he leaned back to see that Chad had finally arrived.

Chad sat down and turned the pin, before starting, "So how did everything pan out when you got back to the estate?"

Troy ran his hand through his hair, "Raul has a hunch that something isn't right, but it's not too much to be alarmed about since he's on thin ice with Gregorio."

"That's always good news. So should we worry about the operation being compromised?"

"No. At this point, we are still okay." Troy's annoyance with the incident bubbled up to the surface, "But what the hell was with Z? He practically screwed up everything I've been working for, for that past couple of months! Did he not pay attention when he was told the cover story? That rookie-like mistake could have cost us this whole operation."

Chad's tone became disapproving, "Calm down man. Z knows that he messed up and he feels bad about it, there is no reason to hold it against him."

"No reason? If he had been paying attention he wouldn't have slipped up!"

"You mean like you have multiple times? He's no different than you, everyone makes mistakes. If anyone needs to be blamed for the problems arising in this case it's you man. Don't start pointing fingers at everyone else."

"Me? I've been through more under cover ops than the both of you put together. I think I know what I'm doing," Troy whispered harshly, the two attempting to keep from drawing attention to themselves.

"You're sleeping with the enemy, that's the worst rookie mistake I've ever seen." Chad said with an accusing tone.

Troy's face became hard at his comment, "Don't bring her into this."

"Fine, but you wanna blame someone for the reasons everything is becoming harder? Look in the mirror. I'll keep in touch." Chad stood from the bench and walked away without another word.

Troy tilted his head back to see Chad angrily walking in the opposite direction. Sighing in frustration, Troy stood up and ran back towards the Montez estate hoping that he could do something to get his mind off of the argument he just had with his co-worker and best friend. He knew at this point he could not afford any more distractions.

---

Troy stepped into his room the next morning after taking a quick shower to wash away the sweat he had accumulated on his regular morning run. Stepping into a pair of jeans and pulling on a white t-shirt he made his way downstairs where the rest of the family had gathered for breakfast.

He took his rightful seat next to Gabriella and fell into the idle chatter that filled the table.

"So Gabriella, you have finals all week?" Gregorio asked as Troy reached for the plate of toast and placed a few pieces on his plate.

"Yes Papi. We have tests till Friday and then I have two weeks off."

"That means you can actually help out more around here right?" Michael asked sarcastically. Troy held back a snicker as he heard Michael wince after Gabriella had kicked him in the shin underneath the table.

"Foot slipped. Sorry," Gabriella glared at Michael, a fake sympathetic smile plastered on her face.

"Michael leave her alone. She helps out when she can," Joe stepped in, earning a grateful smile from Gabriella.

"Tomas, how are things working out with the Southeast Division?" Juan asked from his seat next to Gregorio.

Troy swallowed his sip of juice before answering. "Things are coming along smoothly. The guys we're bringing on seem prepared enough to start up business down there. From my experience, they are very reliable, and we will be able to use them to be successful down in Miami."

As he said this, Troy heard Raul cough loudly and Troy glanced up to see Raul smirk at him. Troy fought the urge to knock Raul out, deciding what other things he could get away with as he kept his eyes locked on Raul, almost daring him to attempt to blow his cover.

Troy felt an elbow bump his own harshly and he took a deep breath as he tried to compose himself. Troy removed his glare from Raul and briefly looked at Gabriella, deciding to not fuel the fire anymore with Raul as he saw her stern glare of warning.

Troy subtly nodded at her before taking another sip of his drink, choosing to ignore Raul.

"Well that's good to hear Tomas," Gregorio said, responding to Troy's earlier comment. "We hope to get you guys down there to start this all up in the next few weeks."

"Looking forward to it sir," Troy admitted, only him and Gabriella knowing the true meaning behind his words.

After breakfast was finished, Troy stood up and helped Gabriella clear the table once everyone had left the room. As she finished putting up the last of the dishes, Troy came up behind her and pulled her to his chest as he peppered feather light kisses on her neck.

Gabriella pulled away from him, "Tomas quit."

Troy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What's wrong?"

She turned to face him and gave him a small smile, seemingly glancing behind him before returning her eyes to his.

"Nothing, just not right now. Okay?"

Even though a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach started to grow, he nodded and gave her a forced smile, "Okay."

He stepped back and let his arms drop to his side. "Anyways, I was just wondering if you maybe wanted to go on a drive with me." He felt like a high school boy asking out his crush. He didn't know why he was so nervous, but only knew that the feeling was taking over his body.

She seemed unsure for a second but then smiled, "Sure let me just grab my jacket."

Troy nodded his head and leaned against the counter waiting for her to return. He didn't know what was with Gabriella. Troy wondered if it could be that she was regretting what happened between them two nights earlier. He felt his heart clench at the thought.

"Ready?" Gabriella popped into the kitchen with jacket in hand.

He smiled and ushered her out into the garage with a hand on her lower back, feeling a bit of relief when she didn't pull away.

---

Troy drove along the freeway not noting any of the signs as they sped along. Gabriella sat beside him not saying a word leaving Troy to his thoughts, which at that moment was slowly eating away at him. So instead of confronting her and scaring her off he decided to take a tactful approach to the situation, by somehow easing his questions into normal conversation.

"Do you have any certain time you need to be back, like to study for tests or anything?" He asked trying to sound completely nonchalant.

Gabriella turned to look at him, "Yeah I shouldn't be out too long, I have a child development final that I need to study for."

Troy nodded as he changed lanes, "Alright." He waited for the conversation to start flowing like it always did, but he was met with nothing but awkward silence. After a few more minutes, he made the u-turn to head back to the estate and spoke up as the silence became too much for him.

"Do you regret the other night?" He blurted out referring to the night they'd slept together.

Gabriella realizing what he was talking about, jumped in surprise and looked at him in shock, "No."

Her simple statement told him more than he needed to know. He couldn't believe that he had freaked her out with what had happened. It had all happened so fast, and she seemed so content afterwards…what changed?

"I'm sorry about what happened, I thought you were okay with it. I didn't mean to put you in an uncomfortable position." He stressed, switching between glancing at the road in front of him and the brunette to his right.

"Tomas it's not like that. I don't regret it and I'm completely fine with it. So believe me when I say that nothing's wrong," Gabriella attempted to reassure him.

Troy felt a bit more at ease but the tugging feeling on his heart wouldn't disappear as he turned into the driveway about a half an hour later. He watched as she immediately got out of the car once he came to a complete stop. She took a few steps before turning to face him, a confused look on her face.

"Aren't you coming?"

Troy was half-tempted to hop out of the car and go with her; he felt the urge to hold her in his arms and find out what was going on. Yet he could feel something was off, and the last thing he wanted to do was push her and cause her to drift further from him.

Staring at her, he swallowed the lump in his throat, "No. I really need to go finish up some paperwork at Sunset. I am really behind on some of it. You go ahead and I'll see you later. I probably won't be back till late."

She sighed and nodded before shooting him her first real smile of the day, "Alright. Be careful."

Troy watched as she made her way inside before pulling back out and heading towards Sunset. He knew that he had a lot of paper work, but he wasn't sure how much of it he was going to be able to get done with all of the thoughts harboring in his head.

Troy pulled into a parking spot outside of Sunset and made his way straight to his office. He sat down and began to flip through the week's paperwork, but his thoughts were far from that. He couldn't stop thinking about how Gabriella had been acting earlier that day. Before he had left to talk with Chad, everything seemed fine. But since he had returned, he couldn't help but notice she had gotten somewhat distant.

Attempting to push the thoughts aside, Troy focused on the paperwork in front of him. He spent most of the day into late in the evening making sure things were in order for when he left Sunset, while also trying to gather as much information as he could that would be helpful in taking down the Montez family.

Troy pulled into the driveway that night around 10:45 pm. He parked the car in the garage before gathering his things and making his way towards the garage door and ultimately to the kitchen.

He came to a sudden stop as he pushed open the door and heard an all too familiar giggle coming from the kitchen. He smiled at the thought that she had waited up for him.

He rushed the rest of the way but came to a complete stop at the edge of the doorway. His chest tightened at what he saw. Gabriella was perched up on the edge of the kitchen counter with Raul in between her legs, the two sharing a bowl of ice cream. The blatant flirting between them caused his blood to boil.

Troy didn't care if she heard him as he angrily slapped the wall before making his way upstairs. Once he entered his room, Troy flopped down on his bed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. The words from Michael and Raul came flooding back into his mind. Maybe she had used him after all. Her distancing herself after they had sex made much more sense now. To her, her job was now done and she no longer needed to pretend. Troy felt a sharp pain in his chest as these thoughts ran through his head, suddenly wondering if he'd been fooled all along.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Sorry everyone that we didn't get this up last week. The two of us got caught up in hanging out this past week and didn't find the time we wanted to write. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter though. We enjoy reading the reviews so keep them coming! Thanks!**


	31. Chapter 31

**Disguised Affection Chapter 30**

Troy woke up early the next morning to the sound of a bird chirping outside his window. Immediately, his thoughts returned to what had happened the night before. He had hoped it was a dream, but he knew that was false.

Attempting to block out his thoughts and the annoying bird outside his window, Troy brought his pillow over his head, covering his face. Troy groaned as his thoughts seemingly got louder. Frustrated, he threw the pillow off of his face and got up out of bed, glancing at his clock to see it was 5:30 AM.

He made his way over to his dresser and threw on a white cutoff shirt to go with his black basketball shorts he had worn to bed. Quickly he slipped on his black and grey running shoes before heading downstairs.

The house was quiet. Everyone else was sleeping as Troy slipped out the front door. The cool morning wind brushed against his face, and Troy squinted his eyes at the rising sun as he jogged down the street, taking a different route than usual.

He mulled over his thoughts as he took his routine morning jog. He knew that he needed to talk to Chad soon. They hadn't really discussed what the plan was, especially since things may be compromised with Gabriella, and he knew time was running out for them to act on this opportunity. At the thought of Gabriella, he realized he'd have to face her at some point that day. He felt a pang in his chest as he recalled seeing her and Raul the night before.

He knew he had fallen for Gabriella hard, and now he felt like he had been played. Not only had he felt used, but even worse, she was flirting with the one guy he absolutely hated.

Troy thought through the consequences of what had to happen now. He had trusted Gabriella, and had shared so much classified information with her. She was a risk now, and he knew what he had to do. If he didn't turn her in soon, she could share that information with the rest of the Montez family, and Troy and the operation would be at risk. Not only that, Troy realized that all of those close to him would also be at risk, including Angie. If they weren't already. What would've stopped her from already leaking the information, if she had been playing him all along?

Troy made his way back up the Montez driveway ten minutes later, his thoughts still racing. He heard someone in the kitchen, but ignored it as he sprinted up the stairs and into the shower.

Ten minutes later, Troy stepped out of the bathroom and made his way back towards his room, planning to contact Chad right away and figure things out. As he went to close his door, he turned around to see Gabriella sitting on his bed, smiling at him as if nothing was wrong.

"Morning," she greeted softly.

Troy shook his head, thoughts of her betrayal and what he had to do at the forefront of his mind. Angrily, he opened up the door and motioned towards it with his hand. "Get out."

"What?" Gabriella asked, a confused look surfacing on her face as she slowly stood up.

"I said get out," Troy repeated sternly, staring at her, his jaw set.

Gabriella slowly took a few steps forward, and Troy was unable to miss the hurt look on her face. But quickly, he pushed that aside, remembering his own hurt.

"What's wrong Tomas? Did I do something?" She questioned softly, stopping a few feet in front of him.

Troy laughed bitterly causing her to frown in confusion.

"Tomas, please tell me what's going on," Gabriella pleaded, reaching out in attempts to hold onto his arms.

Troy quickly stepped back, avoiding her touch.

"Tomas?"

"I told you before…leave. I have some things I need to do." Troy stared at her while opening the door, motioning once again for her to walk through it.

Gabriella shook her head, her eyes darkening as she reached out and slammed the door shut, refusing to leave. "No, I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on."

"Oh, so now you want to talk to me," Troy muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he walked back towards his desk, his back to her, all the while thinking of how he was going to go about turning her in.

"What is that supposed to mean? Is this about yesterday?" Troy remained silent, prompting Gabriella to continue. "Tomas, I'm sorry if I seemed a little distant yesterday. I just had some things I was preoccupied with."

Troy spun around, fists clenched at his side as he glared at her, struggling between his frustrations concerning his feelings for Gabriella and trying to remain focused on protecting the operation. "Is that how you'd describe it? You know, when Raul and Michael both hinted that you string guys along, I just brushed it aside. I thought they were insane, because the Gabriella I knew wasn't like that. But now, well let's just say I see their point. Congratulations. Job well done. You fooled me," Troy spat bitterly.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I can't believe that you'd believe them."

"It's true isn't it? You spent weeks getting closer to me, getting me to trust you. Then when I finally do, you turn around and move on to the next guy."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Gabriella asked, raising her voice as a confused and angered look spread through her eyes. "I haven't been stringing you along. Why would you think that?"

"You have some great explanation for why I came home last night to find you and Cruz flirting like crazy in the kitchen? That just a normal occurrence around here?"

Troy looked in her eyes and saw the realization set in as she realized that he'd seen her. "That's right. I saw all of that. So is that it? You normally flirt with all the available guys here?"

"No, that's not it. You saw things wrong," Gabriella defended, Troy missing the sincere look in her eyes.

"Did I? Are you sure you're not seeing how many of the guys here you can sleep with?"

Troy felt his cheek sting as Gabriella's hand came in contact with his face in one quick motion. "How dare you say that Tomas! You're jumping to all of these conclusions without even asking me what is going on. You know how much I despise Raul."

Troy looked at her skeptically, his hand lightly rubbing his cheek that was now bright red.

"Then explain why he was in between your legs, your arms around his neck as he fed you ice cream. Didn't look like you despised him to me. Seemed like you were enjoying yourself."

Gabriella went to reach out and touch Troy's arm, but Troy quickly moved out of the way, looking at her for an explanation. "Tomas, I just need you to trust me. It'd be better if I didn't tell you what was going on."

Troy shook his head angrily. "That's not going to cut it Gabriella. The way I see it, I trusted you, and you abused that trust. I confided in you, and shared a lot of things with you I wasn't supposed to. Right now, you're a risk to this operation. This has put me and those around me at risk. So either tell me right now what's going on, or I'm turning you in."

Troy looked up at Gabriella, seeing the contemplative look in her eyes. Crossing his arms in front of him, he waited for a few seconds. "So?"

Troy watched as she opened her mouth to say something but closed it quickly. Troy shook his head, angry and disappointed, and made his way towards his dresser before picking up his phone.

"Wait," Gabriella called out, quickly crossing the room. "Tomas, you can still trust me. I am not a risk; I won't tell anyone anything, I promise. Please, just trust me on this."

"How do you expect me to trust you? My life and the lives of those close to me are at risk here Gabriella! How do I know you haven't been playing me all along, and that you haven't already told someone the truth? After what I saw last night, I don't know how you expect me to blindly trust you. So, since you can't give me a decent explanation, I'm going to make sure you're not a risk to me or this operation," Troy told her, quickly scrolling through his contact list.

"Wait, don't!" Gabriella ordered, putting her hands on his shoulders and roughly pushing him into the wall behind him. Troy looked up at her curiously. "Just listen to me for one second."

Gabriella kept a firm grip on his arms, searching his eyes for an answer. After a few moments, Troy nodded, an angry yet skeptical look in his eyes.

"I'll tell you what's going on. I know I was distant yesterday, and yes I was flirting with Raul." Troy feeling his anger rise, went to move off the wall, attempting to get away but failing as Gabriella tightened her grip on his biceps, pushing him backwards. "But, like I said, I was doing it for you."

"There's a new one," Troy bit back sarcastically. "Cheating on someone to benefit them."

"Tomas, just shut up and listen to me!" Gabriella yelled right back. "I didn't cheat on you. Look, I overheard your conversation with Raul a couple of days ago. And I got an idea. I know that Raul has a hunch that something isn't right about you, and if you're gonna finish this out, you don't need him on your back."

"So what does that have to do with what you did yesterday?" Troy asked, his voice a litter calmer, yet still remaining quite doubtful.

"Raul suggested that I am stringing you along, and that I don't feel as strongly for you as you do for me," Gabriella began.

"He may have a point," Troy shrugged, wincing as Gabriella pushed him harder into the wall. Troy looked at her, noticing the hurt look in her eyes in response to his words.

"I can't believe you would trust what Raul says over me," Gabriella told him, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well right now Gabriella, you're not giving me a reason to believe you."

Gabriella sighed, "I'm trying to explain, so you can believe me. Like I was saying before, I came up with a plan to help you out. By flirting with him and making him believe that I am stringing you along, maybe I can get him off your back."

"Distract him for a couple of weeks until this is all over," Troy filled in.

"Exactly," Gabriella breathed out, releasing her firm grip on his arms, but still leaving her hands there. "I'm sorry you thought I was cheating on you, and that I was upset about the other night. I wasn't, not at all. Look, I know this all looks really bad. But, you can still trust me Tomas. You have to believe me. Like I have said all along, I want to get out of this life, and I realized that I had the opportunity to help you out. I know how upset you were that Raul could ruin things. He's always had this obsession with me, so I thought that I could use that to our advantage. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just thought wrongly that if you knew the truth, you might get even more upset, or that you would refuse to let me do this, which could ruin things."

Troy nodded his head in understanding, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. "That makes sense."

Gabriella grinned slightly, realizing he was starting to believe her. "Listen Tomas," Gabriella began, her hands trailing lightly up and down his arms, "what Raul said…it was completely false. I care about you so much, more than I've ever cared for anyone else. And not one ounce of me regrets the other night. To tell you the truth, I haven't been able to get that night off of my mind," Gabriella added shyly, a light blush tinting her cheeks as she stared up at Troy.

Troy felt a grin tug at the corner of his lips, relieved that his thoughts about what was going on with her were far off. With a sigh, Troy brought his arms that were stiff beside him and wrapped them loosely around her waist as his lips descended, softly brushing against hers.

"Me either," Troy whispered against her lips as they pulled apart.

"So you forgive me?" Gabriella asked, her hands running softly through his hair.

Troy nodded, smiling genuinely at her. "I forgive you. And I'm sorry for saying all those things. It's just…I've never felt so hurt in my life, thinking that everything between us was a lie."

"I'm sorry," Gabriella whispered once more, leaning up to kiss the corner of his mouth and smiling as he captured her lips again. Gabriella sighed softly as she brought her hands up around his neck and pulled him towards her.

The two quickly got caught up in the moment, hands roaming as Troy's lips moved along her jaw and descended down her neck. Troy smirked against her neck as he heard her moan softly, and he tightened his grip on her waist before spinning her around so her back was to the wall.

"Tomas," Gabriella breathed out softly, trying to push him away gently. "We can't do this right now."

Troy paused for a moment, leaning away from her and giving her a questioning look.

"It's not that I don't want to," Gabriella added quickly, her fingers softly playing with the hairs at the back of his neck. "It's just, everyone else will be up soon, and if this is going to work, they can't have any idea that we are together."

"You're right." Troy nodded reluctantly, unable to resist leaning down and kissing her softly once more. Troy smiled at her as they pulled apart, bringing his hands down and lacing his fingers through hers before pulling her with him towards the bed.

Troy grinned at her as he sat down on the bed, holding out his arms towards her.

"Tomas, I thought we agreed we couldn't do this right now," Gabriella said, her eyebrow raised in question.

"Come on, I don't want that." Gabriella raised her eyebrow at him again, a grin tugging at her lips. "No, I mean, I do want that, of course I would want that," Troy rambled on, pausing when he heard Gabriella begin to giggle. "What?"

"Nothing," Gabriella said, as her laughter died down. "I just like to watch you try to dig yourself out of a hole."

Suddenly without warning, Troy reached up and grabbed her around the waist, pulling Gabriella down until they were both lying side by side on the bed, her head landing on his shoulder.

"Why'd you do that?" Gabriella asked trying to wiggle out of his arms unsuccessfully as Troy tightened his grip on her.

"I'm tired. Didn't get much sleep, so I wanted to lie down," Troy shrugged. "Plus, I get to hold you for a few minutes before everyone wakes up and I have to stomach watching you and Cruz."

Gabriella let her arm fall across Troy's chest, their legs intertwined as she rested her head once again on his shoulder. "Trust me, it grosses me out to do this. But unless we can think of another way to keep Raul from getting suspicious, we'll just have to do it this way."

Troy sighed and dropped a kiss on the top of her head, his hand lazily rubbing circles on her lower back as her fingers drew invisible shapes on his chest.

"I believe you," Troy whispered. "I just can't stand knowing that he'll be that close to you, that he'll be touching you."

"Ew," Gabriella scrunched up her nose. "Trust me, that the thought of him touching me in any way disgusts me. I'm going to keep him at a distance…flirt just enough to make him think I'm interested in him and not you…nothing more. I promise."

"Good," Troy murmured and pulled her closer, brushing his lips against her forehead. "Maybe you and I should argue a bit to make him believe that there's nothing between us anymore."

"Yeah, that would probably help," Gabriella admitted, her cheek now resting against his chest.

Troy shifted and glanced at the clock, groaning as he saw the time. "It's 6:20. Everyone will be getting up soon."

"I guess that means I have to go," Gabriella said reluctantly, not moving an inch.

Troy brought his hand up from her lower back, running it through her long curls. "This is going to be a long couple of weeks."

"Yeah, it will be," Gabriella said softly before shifting to rest her chin on Troy's chest, her eyes staring into his. "But, we'll just have to be extra sneaky now," Gabriella whispered before raising herself up and capturing Troy's lips in a passionate kiss.

"I like the sound of that," Troy breathed out against her lips as they parted, leaning up to kiss her once more.

Gabriella giggled as Troy's stomach rumbled. "Come on," Gabriella patted his chest, "let's get you some food."

"Five more minutes," Troy whined, trying to pull her down as she sat up.

Gabriella sighed and kissed him softly once more before taking his hands in hers and pulling him up. "As much as I'd love to, we both know our plan would be ruined if someone sees us together, which is going to happen if I don't leave soon."

"Fine," Troy muttered, swinging his legs off the bed and allowing her to pull him up. Troy wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into a brief hug after he stood up. "Let's get this over with."

-----

After breakfast had finished, everyone had left except for Troy, Gabriella, and Raul. Troy stood up from his seat at the kitchen table, taking his dishes towards the sink.

"We're leaving for Sunset in twenty minutes Cruz," Troy called out to Raul who was still sitting at the table. "Move it."

Raul dropped his dishes in the sink and muttered something under his breath as he walked past Troy before heading upstairs. Troy decided to ignore it, and stepped closer to Gabriella once he heard Raul's door shut upstairs.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, Troy gently kissed her cheek before brushing his lips softly against the back of her neck a few times.

Gabriella turned her head to the side, smiling up at Troy before leaning in and pressing her lips to his, both of them smiling into the kiss.

"You ready for this?" Gabriella asked.

Troy sighed and let go of her waist, leaning against the counter beside her. "I guess. What should we fight about?" Troy asked, putting air quotations when he said 'fight'.

Gabriella grinned, hearing the door open upstairs, "Just follow my lead."

Troy nodded, the two looking towards the stairs as footsteps began to descend.

"I told you before Tomas, stay the hell away from me!" Gabriella yelled out, making sure Raul could hear.

"Gabriella just listen to me for a second. I'm just trying to keep you safe."

"By insisting on dropping me off and picking me up from school?"

"I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I don't need you hovering, trying to protect me. I can take care of myself."

"Well it seems to me every time I turn around you're getting into trouble. Forgive me for trying to save your life all those times," Troy responded sarcastically.

"I don't need you to try to save me. I need you to mind your own damn business!" Gabriella yelled back, spotting Raul out of the corner of her eye, but immediately returning her focus to Troy.

"Protecting you is my business!" Troy protested, knowing Raul was listening.

"Says who?" Gabriella questioned. "I am not your property. I don't belong to you at all."

"Hey, hey, hey," Raul said, stepping into the kitchen. "Trouble in paradise?" Raul smirked at Troy as he brushed by him, walking over to stand next to Gabriella.

"Go to hell Cruz. Stay out of this," Troy told him, feeling his anger boil as he saw Raul attempt to slyly wrap his arm around Gabriella's shoulders.

"Damn Martinez, you certainly do get testy when it comes to this one," Raul taunted, his hand gently squeezing Gabriella's shoulder. "She obviously doesn't want you here though. Maybe you should leave."

"Maybe you should go to hell," Troy spat back.

"Tomas! Get out!" Gabriella yelled.

Raul turned away from Gabriella to smirk at Troy, and Gabriella took the opportunity to wink at Troy, signaling for him to give her a second. Troy pretended to look defeated, shaking his head as he turned to walk out of the kitchen, taking the opportunity to slam his hand against the wall in anger.

Troy stopped around the corner, looking back into the kitchen to see Gabriella had spun Raul to face her.

"Thanks for helping me get rid of him there," Gabriella said, her hand running up and down Raul's arm.

"Anytime you need it," Raul said, his hands settling on Gabriella's waist and tugging her closer. "Let me know if you need anything else," Raul added suggestively, leaning down to kiss Gabriella's cheek.

Troy clenched his fists at Raul's words, using every bit of control he had to hold him back from running in and knocking Raul out then and there.

Gabriella winked at Raul before walking out of the kitchen, walking past Troy and squeezing his hand before heading upstairs. Troy stepped back towards the kitchen, spotting Raul sitting there with a cup of coffee and a smirk on his face.

"Wipe that damn smirk off your face and get in the car," Troy ordered before walking out to the garage, hoping now more than ever that this case would be over soon.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews last chapter. They were exciting to read. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter too. Let us know what you thought! **


	32. exciting news

****

hey everyone no chapter here. But i wanted to let you know that Cori is co-writing another story with two of my friends Rin and Stacey. The story is under Rin's account 'walkingproof' It's a great story and i'm insanely addicted. luckily i've gotten the chance to have a preview of whats to come. So support all three by going to check it out and leave a review!

Thanks so much

Erin


	33. Chapter 33

A few days had past since Troy had found out what Gabriella's plans were. And in that time, Gabriella had been lightly flirting with Raul, keeping him from being around Troy too much and growing suspicious. As much as it angered Troy to see that, he knew that it was working. The past few days, Raul hadn't been onto Troy. He was less suspicious and Troy knew he needed to use this opportunity to finish things off before they got worse.

Troy made his way downstairs Saturday morning, hoping to talk to Gregorio and convince him he needed to go meet with the guys to review some more things, when in reality, Troy was hoping to meet with Chad and fill him in on what was going on. He had already contacted Chad earlier that morning, and the two were planning to meet at a restaurant near New Jersey to go over everything.

Troy knocked on the door, sticking his hands in his pockets as he silently rehearsed what he'd say.

"Enter."

Troy opened the door, stepping through before softly shutting it behind him.

"Hello Sir."

"Tomas," Gregorio greeted, setting some papers he was looking at to the side and motioning for Troy to take a seat. "What can I do for you?"

"Sir, I wanted to know if I could take the car and head to New Jersey today. I set up a meeting with some of my boys so we can get things in order for when we head down to Miami in a week."

"That would be fine," Gregorio approved, standing up and walking over to his file cabinet, searching through the folders for a few moments before finding what he was looking for. "I'm heading down to the Laundromat on Fifth in a few minutes, so I will take Raul with me and have Matteo, Michael, and Joe take him on the runs they're doing today."

"Thank you sir," Troy said, relieved that he didn't have to deal with Raul.

Gregorio nodded, walking back towards the desk. "We will all be gone tonight out on some runs and I have a few clients to take care of, so don't worry if you don't make it back in time for dinner. Here's some information on some of the clients down in Miami and some of our new locations in the Southeast that you will be working with," Gregorio told him, handing over a thick file folder. "Go ahead and fill your guys in on this information."

"Will do Sir," Troy said, taking it from him and flipping through it quickly.

"Do you think things will be ready before next week?" Gregorio asked as he took his place behind his desk once more.

"Yes, I have determined who will be in charge at the various locations, and we have enough packers and mules at each place. I'm just touching up on some last details, and we'll start moving down next week."

"That's good. I'll want to meet your team before you guys move down there. Will you inform them of that and set that up for next Saturday?"

"Sure thing Sir. I'll tell them today," Troy confirmed, standing up to shake Gregorio's hand as his mind was racing with ideas of how he could use the meeting with Gregorio to his advantage.

After Troy left Gregorio's office, he went up to his room, getting ready before making his way back down the hall. Troy felt a smile tug on his face as he saw Gabriella in her room sitting at her computer, her back to him. Knowing everyone had already left, Troy made his way towards her.

Walking up behind her, Troy placed his hands gently on her shoulders, sliding them down her arms until his hands covered hers, picking her hands up off of the computer as he dropped a light kiss on her cheek.

"Morning," Troy whispered, smiling as Gabriella leaned back in her chair and connected her lips with his.

"Morning. Everyone leave?"

"Mhmm," Troy pulled her up from her seat, leaning against the desk as he brought her into his body, his arms snaking around her waist as her hands rested on his chest. "They're all down at the place on Fifth getting things set for a bunch of runs they are doing tonight."

"All alone," Gabriella sighed, her hands trailing up his chest to wrap around his neck, her fingers immediately playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

Troy smiled before leaning towards her, unable to resist the opportunity to feel her lips against his. Since Gabriella's plan to flirt with Raul had gone into effect, the two of them had not had much time alone together. They knew things needed to stay quiet between them so that the rest of the family wouldn't suspect anything, which would indirectly keep Raul believing that Gabriella was interested in him.

"I've missed this," Troy breathed out against her lips as they parted, his hands sliding up and down her waist a few times before he connected their lips once more.

"Me too," Gabriella whispered, as she leaned into Troy more, her cheek resting on his shoulder and her arms tightening around his waist as she lightly kissed his neck.

Troy kissed the top of her head, stepping away from the desk before taking a seat in her desk chair, pulling her to sit sideways on his lap. As his arms interlocked around her waist, and hers around his neck, Gabriella pulled Troy into a much desired, passionate kiss—one the two had been waiting on for days.

When they separated for air, Gabriella's lips immediately found their place on Troy's jaw, and began a path down his neck as Troy's hands slipped under her shirt, tracing light circles on her lower back.

The sound of Troy's phone ringing broke the two apart.

"Leave it," Gabriella pleaded, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I can't," Troy sighed regretfully, digging in his pocket and grabbing his phone, seeing a message from Chad that confirmed the restaurant they'd meet at in a little over an hour. "And I have to go. I have a meeting in an hour in Jersey."

"So you're leaving me here all alone?" Gabriella asked, a cute pout forming on her face, Troy quickly kissing it away.

"Hey, at least Raul is gone," Troy pointed out, Gabriella's face crinkling at the thought of being alone with Raul.

"That's true. I seriously almost throw up every time I have to flirt with him."

Troy laughed, his hands lightly trailing up her back. "Just one more week. Then we'll both be out of this."

"You're right. I just can't wait to be done with flirting with Raul. Whenever he touches me, I cringe inside."

"Believe me baby, I cringe too," Troy admitted. "It takes all that I have to keep from knocking him out right there."

Troy watched as a grin tugged at Gabriella's lips, a slight smirk making its way through.

"What?" he asked at her sudden change in expression.

"You called me baby," Gabriella smiled, her hand running through his hair.

"I did," Troy chuckled. "That okay?"

"Of course it is," Gabriella replied before brushing her lips softly against his.

"Good," Troy said, pecking her lips once more. "I'll tell you what I can't wait for. Aside from being done with all of this, I can't wait to finally take you out on a proper date."

Troy grinned and leaned forward, his lips brushing against her forehead.

"You sure you'll be able to do that?" Gabriella questioned, her face turning serious.

"What do you mean?" Troy asked as his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Won't you get in trouble for that? You'd be dating a criminal; one involved in a case you worked on."

"Gabi, you're getting immunity. And besides, you're not a criminal."

"Well maybe in your eyes, but not to everyone else. I mean, isn't there some rule against dating someone involved in the case?"

"Yeah, but screw them," Troy said seriously, his hand coming up to rest on her cheek. "I'm not letting them get in between this. I care about you too much to let you go," he told her sincerely as his thumb gently rubbed her cheek.

Gabriella was unable to control the smile that erupted on her face as she leaned down towards Troy, their lips meeting and both smiling into the kiss.

"Okay, I'd better go," Troy whispered reluctantly as they pulled apart.

"I'll walk you down," Gabriella offered, standing up and letting Troy get up as well before the two made their way downstairs, hands interlaced.

Troy stuck the file folder in the car with one hand, his other hand still laced through Gabriella's as they stood in the garage.

"Drive safe," Gabriella told him, her arms slipping around his waist in a small hug.

"I will." Troy kissed the top of her head. "See you tonight," he whispered, kissing her lips once more before hopping in the car and pulling out of the garage on his way to New Jersey.

--

Troy made his way towards the back of the restaurant, spotting Chad sitting there in a secluded area, his back to him.

"Hey," Troy greeted, taking a seat in the booth across from him and setting the folder on the table before grabbing the water there and taking a drink.

"Hey," Chad said stiffly, the two immediately feeling the awkwardness of the situation due to the fact that they hadn't really talked since their argument a few days earlier. After telling the waitress their order, Chad pulled out a debugging device, activating it and sticking it on the table before nodding to Troy to start.

Troy cleared his throat. "Thanks for setting this up. I need to fill you in on what's been going on."

"Go for it."

"Well first, things are better than the last time we talked. I'm sorry for blowing up at you before," Troy apologized, hoping to smooth things over with his best friend. "Everything had just happened with Raul, and as always, he'd pissed me off before I left. You were right. Z slipped up, but I shouldn't have flipped out like I did."

Chad nodded, showing all was forgiven. "So what's been going on these past few days?"

"These past few days, he's gotten off my back a bit. Gabriella talked with me and came up with a plan for her to flirt with Raul," Troy told him, deciding to leave out the information about their relationship. "Since Raul's had a thing for her for awhile, he's been pretty distracted by that."

"That's good then. You need all the help you can from the inside to get this thing finished."

"Yeah, it's helped a lot. I've been able to strategize a bit for the past few days and keep my cover of setting up the Southeast division. But I found something out today that I think is our in to taking out everyone inside the estate."

"What's that?" Chad asked curiously.

"Gregorio wants to meet my team before we leave for Miami. He told me to set it up, so I can have us meet inside the estate. You, me, and the other guys can take whoever is there out then, because the rest of them will all be in on the meeting."

"What about the other locations?"

"We can have them raided at the same time," Troy suggested, opening up the file folder and digging through the papers there before grabbing some out and sliding them to Chad. "I jotted down a quick sketch of the floor plans of both buildings, and the best place to sneak into both. You can give this to the other teams, and they can add that to the satellite images. Also, here's some info on the clients and locations down in the Southeast."

Chad nodded, his eyes scanning over the pages briefly after taking them from Troy.

"Alright, I'll take this back to the office and pass on the information. When is this meeting with Gregorio?"

"Saturday. I will keep you posted on what time and everything, and we'll need to meet again so we can strategize how to make this all happen. It all needs to happen at once though. If one raid goes before the other, it'll tip them off."

"We can meet up a few times this week. After we're done here, I'll go back and relay this information. I'll contact you and set up a meet sometime tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Troy's eyes looked over to the side, watching as the waitress set their food in front of them. Troy's eyes widened in amusement as he saw the waitress set a huge hamburger and a large plate of fries in front of Chad, before a second waitress brought a salad, a baked potato, and a 8 ounce steak to the side of Chad.

"Mmmm," Chad said as he took the hamburger in his hands, taking a large bite and setting it on the plate. A glob of sauce landed on Chad's chin, and he reached for the napkin, dabbing his chin before looking up to see Troy staring at him with his eyebrows raised. "What?" Chad asked innocently, shoving a few fries in his mouth.

Troy laughed, taking a bite of his own hamburger. "Got enough food there?"

"Dude, I didn't eat breakfast. Angel stayed at my place last night and I had to take her back to J's early this morning, and then I got called in the office. Trust me, you'd be hungry too."

"Alright man," Troy chuckled. "So you got to watch Angel last night?" Chad nodded. "How is she?"

"She's good. Still misses you like crazy. She kept asking about you, and then insisted that I made her some chocolate milk 'Uncle T' style."

"She loves that chocolate milk," Troy said, his mind immediately going to the little girl he missed more than he could have imagined.

"So, you ready for this all to be done?" Chad asked as he finished off his hamburger.

"You kidding me? I'm more than ready. I can't wait to see Angel and hang with you guys again…to finally be done with this job," Troy admitted, choosing not to add in the fact that he couldn't wait to properly be with Gabriella, knowing he should keep that quiet for now.

"It'll be done soon enough man, which is good for me because I've been goin broke having to buy my own groceries instead of stealing stuff off you," Chad smirked, digging into his steak.

"I need to find a new hiding place for the extra key," Troy muttered, rolling his eyes at his best friend.

"Go for it," Chad chuckled, stuffing a few more fries in his mouth. "I made a few copies while you've been gone."

"Great," Troy said, shaking his head. "I need to get a dog."

---

Later that night, Troy pulled into the garage, noticing everyone's cars were still gone except for Gabriella's. After lunch with Chad, he'd stopped by Sunset and worked on some paperwork before making his way home. With a slight grin on his face, Troy grabbed the box of pizza he'd picked up on the way, and made his way inside.

Walking inside, Troy spotted Gabriella sitting in the family room reading a book. Setting the file folder on the kitchen counter, Troy grabbed some cups and a bottle of soda along with the pizza before heading into the living room.

"Dinner?" Troy asked, alerting Gabriella to his presence.

"Hey," Gabriella smiled, closing her book and sticking it on the table next to her. "Pizza?" She asked excitedly, spying the box in Troy's hands.

"Maybe," Troy grinned, stepping around the couch and placing the food and drinks on the table before taking a seat on the couch next to her. "I don't really know though. I found it in the alley outside of Sunset…thought I'd bring it home."

Gabriella's nose scrunched up as Troy started laughing. Gabriella playfully dropped her jaw before swatting Troy on the bicep. "Thanks Tomas. Glad to know you'd feed me some crap you found on the street."

"Only the best for you," Troy joked, pouring her a glass of soda and handing it to her.

"Where'd you find this? A dumpster down on A Street?" Gabriella questioned, bringing the cup up to her nose to smell it.

"Ha ha, funny," Troy laughed, pulling open the box of pizza and handing Gabriella a slice. "Soda's from your fridge and the pizza's from Oscar's."

"Hawaiian," Gabriella nodded approvingly, before taking a bite of it.

"Of course. I was craving it on my way home, and I thought you could use some dinner too, since everyone else will be out late."

"Well thank you Tomas," Gabriella grinned, reaching forward to wipe a bit of sauce off of the corner of his mouth before kissing his lips lightly. "This is really good."

"It is," Troy sighed in contentment, taking another bite.

"So how'd your meeting go?"

"Good. We sorted some things out, and we'll be ready to go next Saturday."

"That's when everything happens?" Troy nodded. "So what happens after that?"

"Lots of debriefing, lots of paperwork, lots of hassle essentially," Troy admitted with a sigh, before grinning slightly. "But it will all be worth it in the end."

The two smiled at each other before digging back into their pizza, Troy's last phrase resonating strongly with both of them as they both hoped this next week would fly by and that things would go smoothly. The end was in sight, and they couldn't wait to reach it.


	34. Chapter 34

****

so me and cori have officially taken the title of WORST UPDATERS EVER. I'm so sorry guys so much stuff has happened with cori's school and things going on in my life but we're currently writing the next chapter. We've been deciding exactly what we want to happen as there are only 2 or 3 chapters left. I wanted to think the people that are still by our sides even though its been over a month. once again we can't apologize enough and we hope to get the chapter up soon.

corri's excuse: school and sickness

erin's excuse: sick ALL the time, bf, family problems, moving BACK in, and a bunch of other stuff

also remember guys this is my LAST story on fanficion so there won't be anything after this. thanks for your support

CORRI&ERIN


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Holy crap!? An update?? I know, don't die. Sorry it has taken so long to update this, but really, things have been busy...Erin lost Microsoft Word and has been really sick, and I have been super busy with school. Plus, we wanted to make sure this was a good chapter, since it is critical to the story. The story is nearing an end, only 2 or 3 more chapters left. Anyways, I'll stop talking and let you all read. Thanks to those who are still with us on this story. Enjoy! **

**Disguised Affection Chapter 32**

"You want me to go where?!"

Troy shushed her and quickly whipped his head around making sure they hadn't drawn any attention, feeling relieved as he realized everyone else on campus wasn't paying any attention to them.

It was Friday, the day before the raid was supposed to go down and Troy had decided to meet Gabriella down at school. He had spent the whole week making sure everything would go smoothly, and so far things were setting up almost perfectly. Yet Troy knew that it was unlikely that things would actually happen as well as he wanted. He figured on the possibility of there being a fight, and there was a good chance someone would fire a shot. And for Troy, aside from wanting everything to go according to plan, his first priority was protecting Gabriella from any harm, which meant he wanted her as far from the estate as possible.

"Gabi, listen to me," Troy pleaded, taking her arm gently and pulling her towards a more secluded area. "Things might not go how we want them to tomorrow, and if that's the case, I don't want something to happen to you. It's just for the night. I already got you a room at a hotel back home."

"Tomas, I can be there for you. I can help you guys. My family isn't going to expect me to be on your side. You can use me," Gabriella argued.

Troy shook his head, taking a deep breath. "Yes, they wouldn't expect it. But I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you," Troy said softly, hoping to convey his sincerity to her. "I really do appreciate all of your help so far, and I know that the agency does too. But please, just do this for me. I promise the minute everything is over, I'll come and get you." Troy paused reaching his hand up to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Besides, if you're there, I'm more likely to be distracted because I'll be more concerned about your life."

"Maybe you don't know me like you think you do, but I am not the type of person to run and hide," Gabriella protested.

"I know," Troy told her, hoping that he could convince her to do what he asked. "Please just do this one thing for me."

Gabriella looked up to see Troy's eyes imploring her, begging her to listen. Sighing, she reluctantly nodded her head.

"Is that a yes?" Troy asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

Gabriella nodded once more. "Don't think you can just look at me like that and get what you want though."

"Sure okay," Troy grinned deviously, leaning in to gently peck her lips before pulling away.

Gabriella just shook her head at the smirk on his face. "So what's the plan then? My family is going to wonder what I'm up to if I'm not at home."

"I know," Troy nodded, already having thought it through. "You're going to have to sneak out after they are all asleep."

"Then what about when they wake up and I'm not there?"

Troy paused, realizing that was a possibility and trying to come up with something new.

"The raid is gonna happen early in the morning. We'll go back right now and you can take a few things for the night…tell your family you are going to a study group or something; they won't be suspicious that you're not back if you say you're studying all night and all day tomorrow. Then take off for the hotel. I'll put the name the room is under and the directions in your car. Just stay there the night and first chance I get tomorrow when this is all over, I'll call you and come get you."

"When is the meeting tomorrow?"

"The guys are coming at 8:00 in the morning. Considering things go according to plan, hopefully I'll be there to pick you up sometime tomorrow night."

"Then it's back for days of debriefing?"

"Unfortunately," Troy groaned, wishing he could skip all of the paperwork that he knew would be piled on his desk once everything was done. "We'd better get going though," Troy told her noticing the time. "Your family will expect you back soon."

Gabriella nodded reluctantly, reaching her hands forward and looping her fingers through his belt loops tugging him closer. "Are you going to be around when I get back?"

"Of course," Troy answered, wrapping his own arms around her. "I'll meet you back at the house," Troy whispered leaning down to gently press his lips to hers before releasing her from his arms and heading towards his car.

--

After pulling into the garage at the Montez estate a little while later, Troy headed straight for Gabriella's room, knocking gently on the closed door and entering once he heard her request for him to come in.

As Troy gently shut the door behind him, he glanced over to see Gabriella softly smile at him before she finished putting a few things in her backpack.

"You talk to your dad?"

"Yeah, I just did. Told him I had a group project that needed to be worked on and that I was going to go work on that with some classmates and stay at a friend's place for the night."

"And he was okay with that?"

Gabriella nodded, zipping up her backpack before tossing it on her bed and walking over closer to Troy. "I'm sure he was a little surprised at me staying overnight somewhere else, since that rarely happens, but I told him the project was due on Monday and we needed to work on it all of tonight and tomorrow, so it would be easier for me to stay at my classmate's place."

"Well good. That should keep them from being suspicious, and it will give you a good cover to get out of here and be safe," Troy told her before placing his hands on her waist, pulling her a little closer.

"You sure you don't want me to stay?"

Troy nodded immediately, not hesitating for even a moment. "Trust me, it's better this way."

"You're just too afraid I'll show you up in the morning, huh Tomas? Can't deal with the possibility of a girl being the hero of the moment?" Gabriella asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt.

Troy raised his eyebrows in amusement, grinning at her reasoning. "You show me up? Not a chance Montez."

Gabriella rolled her eyes at his confidence, pushing him on his chest. "You forget about the fact that I have two brothers and that my family is in the mafia business. Don't underestimate me Martinez."

Troy chuckled at her, pulling her into his chest once more, resting his chin on her head as his eyes caught the clock.

"You'd better get going," Troy sighed, pulling back so he could see her. "I put all of the info you need in your car. Text me once you get there, and please stay put. I'll be there as soon as I can tomorrow."

Gabriella nodded in agreement. "Be safe Tomas," she whispered, leaning up to capture his lips with hers.

"You too," Troy said, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek before pressing his lips to hers once more.

"I will," she told him before walking over to grab her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

Troy nodded, reaching out to grab her wrist as she walked by him towards the door, tugging her back and pulling her into a kiss, hoping to convey how much she meant to him through it. After a few moments, the two broke apart, Troy brushing his lips against her forehead as the two whispered their goodbyes.

After watching her walk downstairs and out the door, Troy made his way down to his room, flopping on his bed. Sighing, he brought his hands up to rub his face feeling a sense of relief that Gabriella would be safe, and knowing that the end was finally in sight.

---

Troy was up the next morning extremely early, after a rough night in which he got little to no sleep. He had spent the whole night tossing and turning as he anticipated the meeting that morning. The plan had been set for awhile now as to how everything would go down. It had to go smoothly, he knew that. From the raids on the two sites to the plan to turn on the Montez family in the meeting and arrest them all, things had to be coordinated near perfectly. If the swat teams raided too soon and word got back to Gregorio or someone else at the estate, their whole plan could end up failing miserably.

Wanting to make things look normal and needing to clear his head anyways, Troy got dressed quickly and made his way outside and down the street that was lit in the early morning by just the street lamps above. As he felt the early morning air rush produce a chilling effect on his face, Troy began to think about the past months that he had been with the Montez family. He'd gone undercover before, but this time, things were different. He'd grown attached to this assignment, or rather the people involved with the assignment—one in particular who was now safe in a hotel room miles away.

Her face popped into his mind and his thoughts became consumed with her. He was glad she was safe, but he couldn't wait to be done with all of this and be with her the way he wanted to—to not have to hide anymore, but be able to finally share who he really was with her. And then he began to think back to his life before all of this. He thought of his friends, his family, of Angie.

And suddenly, his anxiety began to trickle away a bit. He had to do this, for himself, for all of them. He would make sure things went well, because for him there was no other choice. If things went wrong, it'd be likely that he could lose his life, and he couldn't let that happen. He had to see Angie again, and see Gabriella again.

With an extra surge of energy, Troy began to make his way back to the estate—the sun beginning to rise as he made his way up the driveway and into the front door. He had a mere few hours before this would all be over. And now, he couldn't wait.

---

After taking a shower, and going through the plan a few more times in his head, Troy made his way down to the kitchen at 7:00 in the morning, trying to maintain his morning routine to prevent any suspicions by the Montez family.

Stepping into the kitchen, he glanced over at the table, seeing Michael already sitting there, paper in hand as the cook busied herself making breakfast.

"Hey," Michael said looking up from the newspaper as Troy took a seat across from him.

"Morning," Troy greeted, grabbing a glass and pouring himself a drink, grabbing the sports section of the paper in front of him.

"You pack all your stuff up yet? Ready to take off after the meeting?"

Troy nodded, thinking back to how he'd been packing his stuff the night before, but packing it for a different reason then what everyone thought.

"Yeah, I just need to throw a few more things in the car and then I'll be all set. Everyone else already eat?"

"Not yet. Papa and Joe should be coming in a bit. Raul went with Juan and Matteo down to check up on some things at Sunset but they'll be back before 8:00. I don't know where Gabriella is though."

Troy felt his heart speed up at the sound of her name, part of him wishing he didn't have to send her away, but the other part of him relieved that she was safe and they'd finally be able to develop their relationship after all of this was over, without all the lies and secrets.

"Oh um, she had some group project or something to work on for class. I heard her tell Gregorio last night," Troy spoke up, once he realized his mind had wandered for too long.

"Figures," Michael muttered angrily under his breath, "she always has put her freakin school work above her dedication to this family. If I had my way, she would have stopped this a long time ago. She needs to accept her role in this family, and besides, what kind of school is going to hire a teacher who has a family involved in the mafia? But she doesn't listen to me. She's too stupid and stubborn for that."

Troy fought the urge to defend her, knowing in a little less than an hour, the Montez family and all of those involved in their business would be in custody, and it would all be over.

"Are you talking about Gabriella again Michael?" Gregorio's voice rung out through the kitchen as he grabbed a cup of coffee before taking a seat. "I know you don't agree with your sister, but I make the calls around here and for the last time, I don't want to hear your opinion on Gabriella's life. Focus on your own."

"Yes Papa," Michael said solemnly, hanging his head as he went back to reading his paper. Troy looked up, noticing Gregorio looking at him with an expression that he couldn't quite place.

Shaking it off as he scooted his seat over a little as Joe sat next to him, he muttered a soft 'thank you' as the cook placed their breakfast on the table. And as Joe and Gregorio began their normal morning discussion about the tasks for the day, Troy could only smirk to himself as he thought about how their day was really going to go.

---

After breakfast, Troy made his way up to his room. Glancing at the clock, he saw there were only fifteen minutes left before Chad and the rest of the team would arrive. Pulling out his phone, Troy read over the most recent text from Chad.

_On schedule._

Slipping his phone back in his pocket, Troy checked his gun quickly one more time, putting it back in his belt as he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Michael pushed the door open, stepping into the room slightly. "You were right," he said, glancing around at the near empty room.

"Yeah, I didn't have that much stuff anyways."

Michael nodded. "Papa wants to see you downstairs in his office before the meeting."

"Alright, thanks man."

Slipping past him, Troy made his way downstairs, wondering the whole time what Gregorio had to say to him and if it had anything to do with the weird looks he was getting from him at breakfast. Making his way towards the office, Troy knocked on the door like he'd done so many times over the last year.

"Enter."

Stepping inside, Troy shut the door behind him, cautious as he made his way towards Gregorio's desk. He doubted Gregorio knew anything of what was about to go down, but still he wondered what would prompt this meeting.

"Take a seat," Gregorio said, motioning to the seat in front of his desk.

Pulling out the seat, Troy sat down, still on edge and ready to act quickly if things turned sour.

"I just wanted to talk with you before your guys get here."

"Sure thing sir. What about?" Troy asked, calming a bit as he saw no change in behavior from Gregorio that would hint that something was wrong.

"Well, before you take off, I just wanted to tell you again that you have been a great help to us at Sunset and all, which we are going to really miss around here."

"Thank you sir," Troy said as Gregorio nodded.

"And, you've also meant a lot to our family here. I know things have been tough with Raul, but since you've gotten here, our business has thrived and our family has grown closer. So thank you. I have no doubts you will make me proud down in Miami."

All Troy could do was force a smile on his face and nod. He'd be lying if he said he wouldn't miss being around the Montez family, Raul aside. He knew all along he'd come there to do a job, but this had been one of his longest assignments, and he couldn't help but grow to like some of the family.

"You're welcome sir. I appreciate this opportunity. I won't let you down," Troy lied, standing up to shake his hand.

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted the moment, catching Troy and Gregorio's attention.

"Tomas, your guys are here," Joe said, peeking his head through the door.

Gregorio nodded at Troy, who made his way out of the office and towards the front door. Walking past the rest of the Montez family who were going towards Gregorio's office, Troy found Chad, Jason, Zeke, and three other agents, all dressed undercover standing in the lobby.

"Hey guys, this way," Troy told them, looking at Chad as the two exchanged a look, communicating that all was ready to go.

Minutes later, the six new guys found themselves standing around inside Gregorio's office, Gregorio behind the desk, Juan to his right leaning against the wall, and Joe leaning on the wall to his left, with Michael, Matteo, and Raul standing next to Joe.

After making the introductions, Troy leaned up against the wall next to Juan, listening as Gregorio went through some last minute details with the group.

"I've gone through all of this with Tomas, but when you guys get down there, we have a house set up for you, along with a few front companies. Your task right now is to get the front companies going as well as organizing the packaging and smuggling of the stuff we send you. Juan and Matteo here will be down in a few weeks to check how everything is going and help you guys with anything you need."

As Gregorio continued to talk, Troy looked over at Chad, realizing it was about time to put their plan into action as the teams would be raiding the Montez front companies soon. Just then, Troy glanced to his right to see Juan check his phone, a somewhat surprised look appearing on his face before he leaned towards Gregorio to whisper something to him.

Watching with interest, Troy exchanged a look of warning with Chad, the two silently agreeing to be prepared in case something had gone wrong. Glancing back over at Gregorio, Troy saw him scan the room curiously before reaching his hand under his desk.

Realizing that Gregorio was most likely reaching for a gun in his desk and that the teams had probably raided a bit sooner than expected, Troy moved faster than ever before, quickly pulling his gun out and aiming it towards Gregorio.

"Don't move!" Troy ordered, prompting the other guys in the room to all quickly draw their guns, each aiming at a member of the Montez family.

Seeing the rest of the guys had things under control, Troy fully returned his attention to Gregorio. "Now slowly, take your hands out from under your desk and place them up on your head."

Troy kept the gun trained on Gregorio, watching as he tried to tell Juan something. "Juan, take two steps to your left. Now!"

Pointing the gun at Juan momentarily, Troy shook it to the left, ordering Juan to move.

Troy watched as the two finally obeyed his orders, while also scanning the room again to make sure everything was okay.

"Tomas, what the hell is going on?" Gregorio asked, obviously extremely angered and annoyed.

Troy looked up at Gregorio, seeing the anger and confusion in his eyes before allowing himself to look around the room at the rest of the Montez family, seeing an equal amount of anger and confusion in all of them, except Raul who looked as if a light bulb went off in his head.

"You all are under arrest. Turn and face the wall, put your ha-," Troy began.

"I knew it! No one listens to me though. Now look, freakin pretty boy finally shows us who he really is, and now it's too late. Don't you all wish you'd listened to me before?" Raul interrupted, causing Troy to roll his eyes.

"Put your hands on your head and face the wall. Shut up too," Troy added, glaring at Raul.

Seeing that each of his guys had a gun on each Montez family member in the room, Troy turned his attention back to Gregorio, his back to the others as he took one hand from Gregorio's head and placed it behind his back, before grabbing the other and beginning to tie him up.

"You do this to your girl too?"

Troy turned around and sent daggers at Raul, who smirked as he taunted him.

"You strung Gabriella along this whole time huh? I bet she wishes she would have taken up my offer instead. We both know I would have been able to satisfy her more anyways."

"Shut the hell up Cruz!" Troy yelled, willing himself to not spin around and kill Raul then and there, and instead settling at letting Raul see the threat in his eyes.

"Raul, don't talk about my sister like that or I will shoot you myself," Joe warned.

"Hit a soft spot, hey Martinez?" Raul continued to taunt.

As Troy glanced at Jason who had a gun trained on Raul, he saw Jason look at him, taking his eyes off of Raul for a few seconds.

"Cruz if you want to live to see tomorrow, you better shut your mouth," Troy said once more before tightening the tie around Gregorio's wrists.

As he faced the wall, Troy moved over and began to tie Juan's hands behind his back, not seeing Raul punch an un-suspecting Jason, causing the gun to fall from his hands, which Raul quickly grabbed and aimed at Troy's back.

"Troy look out!"

Before Troy could turn around to see what had happened, he heard a gunshot ring out in the room, quickly trying to duck to protect himself, his last thought being that he and his guys would make it out alive.

* * *

**AN: Before you kill us for the evil cliffhanger, the next chapter is already written (another reason this update took so long). Thanks again to all those who have reviewed and begged for an update. Hopefully you liked this one. Let us know! **


	36. Chapter 36

**Disguised Affection Chapter 33**

"_Cruz if you want to live to see tomorrow, you better shut your mouth," Troy said once more before tightening the tie around Gregorio's wrists. _

_As he faced the wall, Troy moved over and began to tie Juan's hands behind his back, not seeing Raul punch an un-suspecting Jason, causing the gun to fall from his hands, which Raul quickly grabbed and aimed at Troy's back. _

"_Troy look out!" _

_Before Troy could turn around to see what had happened, he heard a gunshot ring out in the room, quickly trying to duck to protect himself, his last thought being that he and his guys would make it out alive. _

---

The sound of someone crashing to the ground and groaning in agony filled the room. Troy spun around to see Chad grabbing his left arm in pain, rolling onto his back as he moaned.

Before he could react, another gunshot sounded in the room, and this time, Troy saw Raul collapse to the ground in pain. Quickly glancing to his left, Troy looked to see Zeke standing there with a gun still trained on Raul.

"Watch them," Troy shouted orders to one of the agents next to him, who quickly took Troy's place in tying Juan's hands behind his back.

Acting quickly, Troy darted across the room, kneeling down next to Chad who was bleeding badly, his previously white shirt soaked with a deep scarlet color.

"Chad, man, you alright? Stay with me buddy," Troy said, looking over the gunshot wound for a moment before noticing Chad's eyes beginning to flicker close. "Chad, stay awake man."

Sitting up, Troy pulled his black collared shirt off, leaving only his white undershirt, and quickly placed his black shirt over Chad's wound, applying pressure.

"Zeke, call a medic!" Troy ordered quickly before returning his attention back to Chad.

As Troy checked Chad's pulse, he noticed Jason sit up, groaning and holding his jaw which was red from where Raul had hit him. Spotting Chad on the floor, Jason quickly crawled over towards him.

"What happened?"

"Raul knocked you out, and then tried to shoot me with your gun," Troy informed him, worry lacing his voice.

"What happened to Chad?"

"He tried to tackle Raul and instead got shot in the arm," Zeke told Jason. Troy suddenly felt even more grateful as he realized what had happened.

"You're lucky your friend jumped in front of you there Martinez," Raul's weak voice called out before he went into a fit of coughing as he struggled with each breath. "You two close or something?"

"Shut up Cruz!" Troy yelled, applying more pressure to Chad's arm as his anxiety grew.

"Maybe I should have aimed a little more to the right," Raul continued, gasping for air.

Finally fed up and seeing Jason had taken over putting pressure on the wound, Troy pushed up off the ground before taking two quick steps to where Raul was laying, not giving him any time to react before his fist connected with Raul's jaw, effectively knocking him out.

With a satisfied smirk, Troy made his way back to Chad, his eyes connecting with Zeke's who was looking at him curiously.

"What?" Troy shrugged.

"Dude, he was shot," Zeke stated the obvious.

"So? He was annoying the hell out of me. Besides, I put him out of his misery for the moment," Troy said with a small grin before kneeling back next to Chad.

"What's the status on the medics?"

"They'll be here in two minutes," Zeke told him.

"Jason you got this?" Troy asked, realizing they needed to finish arresting everyone before things got out of control.

"Yeah man."

"Hang in there buddy," Troy told Chad, patting him on his good shoulder before standing up and making his way over to where Matteo, Michael, and Joe were standing still, thanks to the guns pointed at them by Zeke and two other agents.

After tying everyone's hands behind their backs, Troy sat them all on the ground, just as the medics entered the house.

"We have two injured. This one here is a FBI agent, and the one over there is unconscious, but he's in custody," Troy told them, watching as they worked on Chad, checking his pulse and looking over the wound.

Troy watched as the medics quickly placed Chad on a stretcher and took him out before they came back in and took Raul out.

Minutes later, the back-up team arrived, helping to take the remaining Montez men into the van to be taken back to FBI headquarters.

Troy led Gregorio to the van, putting him inside to sit next to the others, not missing the pissed off looks on each of their faces as they realized who Troy really was.

Shutting the door, Troy watched as the van pulled away, the looks on their faces still in the back of his mind.

"Hey Troy."

Troy spun around to see Jason walking towards him, hand outstretched as he patted Troy on his shoulder.

"You alright man? I just got off the phone with the hospital. They say Chad's gonna be okay."

"Yeah man, I'm okay. Just tired is all," Troy lied, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, but that was the last of the feelings he was experiencing as he thought of Chad, his family, Angie…Gabriella. For so long he'd waited for this all to be over, and now that it was, he was completely overwhelmed. He had no clue what to do next.

With Chad okay, a part of him wanted to just hop in a car and take off for Gabriella, leaving his job and everything else behind, but he knew he had work to do. Plus as he thought of the little girl who he'd missed more than anyone over the past months, he knew he couldn't ever leave her.

"Chad's okay though?" Troy asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, he was still conscious when they got to the hospital, but they got him some blood and took the bullet out. He's just resting up now."

"That's good," Troy replied distantly as he looked back at the estate that had become his home over the past year.

"It's been a long time," Jason broke the silence, glancing over at Troy who nodded. "You know, Angie misses you a hell of a lot."

Troy felt a genuine smile form on his face for the first time in awhile as he heard that. "I miss her too."

"Chad told me you kept asking about her. Just so you know, she asks about you every day too."

"Well I can't wait to see her."

The sound of Troy's phone ringing interrupted them. "It's the Chief." Jason nodded in understanding before walking over to Zeke.

"Hey Chief."

"Bolton, what happened? I hear Chad got shot."

"He did. Jason got knocked out and Chad tried to tackle one of them before he shot me, but ended up getting shot himself."

"Everyone else okay? Are they all in custody?"

"Cruz, the one who shot Chad got shot as well. He's at the hospital, but should be released soon, since he just got nicked."

"Well I want you to head back here right away. You have a huge pile of paperwork waiting for you and we need to question all of them."

"On my way sir," Troy said before shutting his phone and going over to Jason and Zeke who were watching some FBI agents carry boxes of papers from inside the estate out to the cars.

"What'd the Chief want?" Jason asked as he got closer.

"He wants me back at the office. You guys good here?"

"Yeah man, go ahead."

After exchanging handshakes with Jason and Zeke, Troy drove back towards headquarters, thankful the first half of the day was over but not looking forward to the next few hours that he knew would drag on.

--

As predicted, two hours later, Troy felt as if five hours had gone by instead. Sitting at his desk that he hadn't been at in months, Troy busied himself typing up a report on his computer and filling out various paperwork sent to him.

Once he'd finished the last of his report, Troy sighed, bringing his hand up to rub his forehead as he glanced at the picture of Angie on his desk. As he looked at the smiling face he hadn't seen in months, he began to think of what it'd be like to see her again and introduce Gabriella to her—that is, if Gabriella still wanted to be a part of his life once she got to know who he really was.

Pulling at his phone, Troy read over his most recent text message. On his way back to the office, he'd texted her, letting her know everything was okay, but so far he hadn't heard anything from her.

A knock on the open door brought him out of his thoughts. "Hey Troy," Zeke greeted, stepping inside the door.

"Hey Zeke, what's up?"

"We just got a call. Cruz is out of the hospital and being transferred here for questioning."

"Who's in charge of questioning him?"

"Chief said you could, if you were up to it."

Troy smirked, he'd been looking forward to this for months. "I'm on it."

With a grin on his face, because for the first time he was glad to be back at the office, Troy made his way down to the questioning rooms. Stopping outside of the room Raul was in, Troy looked through the one-way window and smirked to himself seeing Raul sitting there, dressed in an orange jumpsuit with one arm in a sling.

As Troy pushed open the door, Raul looked up at him and Troy laughed to himself while Raul rolled his eyes.

"How's it going Cruz? That orange looks good on you," he said sarcastically, closing the door and walking towards him.

"Shut the hell up Martinez, or whatever the hell your name is."

"Damn, a little grumpy huh? Did they not give you enough painkillers? How's the arm?" Troy taunted, being sure to roughly pat his injured arm, causing Raul to grimace.

"How's your friend? Still in the hospital I presume." Raul grinned at Troy, trying to get under his skin.

Ignoring him, Troy pulled up a chair across from him, leaning back and crossing his arms as he stared across the small table at Raul.

"Alright, here's the deal. We have most of the information we need."

"I bet you do. Spending almost a year undercover with the biggest mafia family in this region…not a bad assignment. I knew there was something off about you. I decided at first it was just because you are too much of a pretty boy to be involved in this business, but things still didn't add up. I knew I should have killed you way back then."

"The feeling's mutual Cruz," Troy responded with a condescending grin. "Back to what I was saying though…we have what we need. I have all the proof to lock all of you up for the rest of your lives, and as long as our justice system holds up, that'll be your fate. But, you should know, the more you tell me now, the easier things will be."

"I'm not telling you shit," anger laced Raul's voice as he quickly responded.

Troy smiled to himself, enjoying that he was getting to him, leaning back further in his chair. "Well, let me make it simpler. Cooperate with us. Tell us what you know. And we can arrange for you to live comfortably with a bed, tv, good food, the works as far as prison is concerned, for the rest of your life, or you can live in a cold cell with nothing and a not so friendly cell mate."

"Personally though," Troy continued, leaning his elbows on the table as he looked at an extremely pissed off Cruz, "I hope you don't say anything, because the second option is my favorite of the two, and don't you doubt for a second that I'm going to hand select where you go and who your cell mate is." Troy smiled, leaning back once more. "So what'll it be?"

"Go to hell."

"Option two it is," Troy smirked before standing up and pushing the chair back. "Don't forget to write."

Not wanting to push it any further, and satisfied with the response he got, Troy started to walk away, but only took a step before pausing as he heard Raul speak up.

"You know, you better hope your justice system holds up and I end up staying in prison for the rest of my life," he threatened, catching Troy's attention.

"And why's that Cruz?" Troy asked, turning back around to face him. "You couldn't hit me if I was standing two feet away from you."

"Don't you worry Martinez. First chance I get, not only will I take care of you, but first I'm going to find that girl of yours and take from her what you only wish you could get, and then I'll finish you both off. And you can bet she won't be screaming your name for the reasons you want."

It took all of two seconds for Troy's right fist to pound into Raul's left jaw, sending him spiraling to the ground.

Knowing he only had a few seconds before the security came in and pulled him away from Raul, Troy quickly stepped over to where he was laying on the ground and picked him up to throw him against the wall, watching as Raul stumbled backwards before hitting the wall and falling to the ground.

Walking towards him, Troy picked him up by the collar, being sure to put his hand right over Raul's bandaged wound and pressing it into the wall, while his other hand grasped his throat.

Troy's eyes darkened as he stepped closer, leaning up towards his ear, "Lay a finger on her and I swear to you that you'll wish I would have put you out of your misery the last time I beat the shit out of you a few months back, because this time, I'll make sure you feel every ounce of pain possible before I finish you off."

Pushing him hard into the wall, Troy took a step backward, his eyes still darkened and filled with fury, a glare that sent more of a warning message then his words ever could. "By the way, threaten me or Gabriella again, and I assure you that you won't walk out with just a broken nose."

Hearing someone outside the door, and knowing he only had a few points to send his message home, Troy brought his fist back again, never once looking away from Raul as he connected it with his opposite jaw, sending him flying into the wall where his head hit before he fell to the ground unconscious.

"Troy, back off man. What are you doing?"

He felt someone's hands gripping his arms and pulling him backwards, but Troy couldn't take his eyes off of Raul lying bloody and unconscious on the floor. Zeke's calls for him to back off and walk away fell on deaf ears as Troy kept his eyes trained on Raul, barely even moving backwards as he felt two guys pulling him away.

"Troy, let's go! Chief wants to see you," Zeke finally got his attention, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and pushing him towards the door.

"Dude, what the hell was that all about?" Zeke asked once they were outside.

"What?" Troy shrugged, fighting a small grin.

"You normally beat the crap out of guys in custody?"

"If they deserve it, hell yeah," Troy replied, not missing a beat. "And trust me…he deserved it."

Zeke rolled his eyes walking out to the hallway with Troy right behind him. "Whatever you say man, I just hope you know you have to explain to the Chief why you knocked him out."

"Trust me, getting to beat the crap out of him was well worth any grief I'm gonna get right now. You going to go see Chad?" Troy asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I'm headed over there in a bit. He has to stay the night for sure, and he's been bugging me to bring him something other than hospital food."

"Sounds like Chad," Troy chuckled, as the two began to walk down the hallway towards the Chief's office. "I bet the nurses are ready to strangle him."

"Most likely," Zeke laughed as the two stopped outside of the office. "I'll talk to you later man. By the way, congratulations on getting this bust. It's good to have you back."

"Thanks Zeke," he replied, the two pounding fists. "Tell Chad I'll stop by to see him soon."

After agreeing to relay the message, Zeke headed towards his own desk, and Troy turned to the closed office door, taking a breath before pushing it open.

Troy poked his head inside the door to see the Chief staring at his computer screen, an angry look on his face.

"Chief?"

"Bolton, take a seat," he ordered, the tone of his voice revealing how pissed off he was.

Taking a few steps forward, Troy plopped down in the chair in front of his desk. "Zeke said you wanted to see me."

"Yes, I did. You want to explain to me what this is?" The Chief fumed, turning his computer screen towards Troy, the video on screen of Troy punching Raul in the jaw.

"A pretty damn good right hook?" Troy offered sarcastically.

"Bolton, I could have you fired for a stunt like that. Now I don't care what the hell you did while undercover, but when you are here, you are an FBI agent who needs to uphold that image. I told you to go in and question him."

"Sir, he wasn't going to tell us anything more than we already know. Besides, he deserved what he got."

"I don't care if he deserved it Bolton!" The Chief yelled, slamming his hand down on his desk. "I have to explain now why this guy we have in custody is suddenly unconscious and in need of medical assistance once again!"

Listen," the Chief sighed, "I understand that this was a tough and long assignment for you and that he and you didn't really get along, but I cannot condone these actions. You did a great job on this assignment, taking down one of the biggest crime families in the area, along with exposing a lot of other organized crime in the city. But we have protocols, and unfortunately, I'm going to have to suspend you for this."

"Suspend me?" Troy shook his head, his own anger surfacing now. "I just gave up almost a year of my life, put my life on the line multiple times, and almost single-handedly took down the Montez family—a family that I remind you had been a problem for this agency for years. A family _you_ have tried multiple times to take down by agents who failed miserably. And after all of that, this is the thanks I get."

"Look, I have to suspend you for two weeks. Now it's supposed to be without pay, but I'll just give you some time off, you'll get paid, then you'll come back and start working again."

"And what? You'll send me on another year long assignment, I'll put my life on the line, give it up, and get nothing in return?"

"Troy, lis-," the Chief began, only to get cut off.

"No, I'm done with this job." Troy ran his hand through his jet black hair before pushing the chair back and standing up.

"Done? That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it. Find someone else who will put up with all this crap. I have other things I want to do with my life," Troy told him, Gabriella being the first thought that popped into his mind. Quickly he glanced at the clock—he needed to go see her.

"Troy, you're one of the best we have. And you did a great job with this last assignment. This is what you are meant to do. No one else has ever been as successful as you have at this agency. Don't throw that all away. We both know you deserve a good break anyways, and then you can come back refreshed and ready for the next assignment," the Chief pleaded, not wanting to lose such a great asset to the agency.

Running a hand through his hair once more, Troy sighed. He knew the Chief was being sincere. Despite all of their run-ins in the past, Troy knew that the Chief really wanted him to stay. But as he thought of Angie's face when he had to tell her he was leaving again, and when he thought of leaving Gabriella for months at a time, that is if she decided to be with him, Troy knew he couldn't do it.

It was the time for him to leave - to do something else with his life. He wanted to stop living the lies of his job, and be a normal guy.

"I appreciate what you said sir. But I don't want to do this job anymore. I've been thinking about this, and I don't want to be an undercover agent anymore. I love my job, but there are people in my life now that I can't bear to leave for months at a time," Troy said honestly, watching the disappointment revealed on the Chief's face. "I still want to be a part of this agency, put me at a desk job somewhere. But that's it. I can't be the go-to-undercover agent anymore."

Reluctantly, the Chief nodded, reaching out to shake his hand. "If that's what you want to do, then I can't stop you."

Troy smiled sincerely, shaking the Chief's hand. "Thank you sir."

The Chief nodded, "There will be a desk waiting for you when you get back in a couple of weeks."

"I appreciate it," Troy told him, before turning to head out of the office.

"Bolton?"

"Yes sir?"

"Great job on your report. The family will each be tried over the next few months, except Gabriella Montez, who has full immunity now on the condition she agrees to testify at the trials. You'll relay the message?"

"Yes sir, and thank you once again."

After exchanging another handshake with the Chief, Troy made his way out of the office and quickly out the doors of the building. As the fresh breeze blew against his face once he pushed open the doors, Troy stepped onto the sidewalk, a smile making away onto his face as a sense of relief filled him.

He headed to his car with a new sense of freedom and only one thing on his mind—being able to finally show Gabriella who he really was.

---

Speeding down the streets of New York, Troy finally pulled into the Hilton hotel where he'd booked a room for Gabriella. Glancing at his phone once more, Troy furrowed his eyebrows. He'd yet to hear anything from her despite his numerous texts and calls throughout the day and over the past twenty minutes of his drive.

He'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried. With the Montez family and Raul especially all in custody, he knew she was safe from them, but the Montez family had many friends and enemies, both who could be pissed off.

Troy took comfort in the fact that after the post-investigation was finished, the majority of those who dealt with the Montez family would be brought to justice. The Montez family was the key to taking down a huge crime ring in the city.

But for now, the lack of response from Gabriella led Troy to believe the worst. She said she'd be there by the phone, and she wasn't. Troy cursed himself for failing to ask someone in the agency to keep an eye on her.

After haphazardly parking his car in the nearest parking spot, Troy sprinted inside the hotel, stopping by the front desk.

"Can I help you sir?"

"Yeah, there should be a room key here for me. Reservation under Bolton," Troy blurted out quickly, watching anxiously as the teenage girl behind the counter popped her gum, slowly typing the name in the computer.

Troy clenched his fists, trying to keep his anger in check as the girl took her sweet time scrolling down the screen.

"You said Bolton?"

"Yes," Troy said through gritted teeth, his eyes nervously scanning the lobby for any sign of her.

"Okay, under T. Bolton?"

"Yes," Troy repeated, sighing in frustration as she slowly stood up and made her way to the back counter, pulling out an envelope and a single card. "Room, 324."

"Thank you," Troy said quickly before swiping the card out of her hand and dashing towards the stairs, thinking the elevator would take far too long.

Sprinting up the flights of stairs up to the third floor, Troy finally pushed open the door and ran down the hallway, counting the rooms. '319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324.'

Troy came to a halt in front of the door, sliding his card into the door and quickly springing it open, not caring as it swung open and loudly banged against the wall.

"Gabriella? You here?" Troy called out, running into the room, his hopes completely shattered as he saw the room empty, the bed appearing seemingly untouched, and Gabriella nowhere to be seen.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: Daaang, that was a lot of reviews...the most so far for this story. Glad to know so many people are still reading. Thank you all for reading and reviewing. We hope you liked this chapter. Another cliffhanger, we know, but cliffhangers make things interesting. :) **

**Let us know what you thought, and the next update should be soon. **


	37. Chapter 37

**Disguised Affection Chapter 34**

_Sprinting up the flights of stairs up to the third floor, Troy finally pushed open the door and ran down the hallway, counting the rooms. '319, 320, 321, 322, 323, 324.' _

_Troy came to a halt in front of the door, sliding his card into the door and quickly springing it open, not caring as it swung open and loudly banged against the wall. _

"_Gabriella? You here?" Troy called out, running into the room, his hopes completely shattered as he saw the room empty, the bed appearing seemingly untouched, and Gabriella nowhere to be seen. _

---

His heart was racing. He couldn't believe this was happening. Where was she?

Troy felt a mixture of emotions hit him all at once—anger, frustration, confusion, shock, anxiety, but most importantly, fear. Troy quickly ran into the room, darting towards the bathroom and seeing it completely empty, with no sign of Gabriella whatsoever.

After quickly checking the rest of the room one more time, Troy felt his heart sink as he realized she wasn't there at all. Sitting down on the bed, Troy put his hands in his head, his fingers grasping at his hair as he racked his brain trying to figure out what to do next.

Where could she possibly be? What if someone took her?

"Tomas?"

Troy's head whipped around at the sound of his name being called, immediately leaping up from his spot and running towards the door, seeing Gabriella standing there with an extremely confused look on her face.

"Gabi!" Troy breathed out in relief, stopping in front of her and cupping her face in his hands, his eyes scanning her body making sure she was okay. "Are you alright? What happened? Did someone come by? Why did you leave?"

Gabriella quickly cut off Troy's rapid firing of questions, bringing her fingers up to pinch his lips together. "Slow down Tomas. Take a deep breath, and stop freaking out."

"Freaking out? Freaking out!?" Troy exclaimed, running a hand through his hair. "What do you expect? I sent you here last night, thinking you'd be completely safe. I have one hell of a day in closing out this job, and I call you and you don't answer. Then I come here expecting to see you and you're not here! I didn't know what happened, and I still don't. All I have been thinking about is if you are okay and what I'd do if you weren't, and-,"

Troy's words were cut off once more, but this time by Gabriella's lips as she placed her hands on the back of his neck pulling him down towards her. For a moment, Troy's hands were stiff at his sides but as soon as he felt her fingers tangle in his short black hair, he came to his senses, quickly wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her body closer to him.

Gabriella released her lips from his a few moments later, watching Troy with a grin as his eyes slowly fluttered open.

"What was that for?" Troy asked breathlessly, bringing his hand up to softly brush a curl of hair behind her ear.

"You were rambling," Gabriella giggled, leaning up to quickly peck his jaw before escaping from his grasp. Troy watched as she walked towards the door, grabbing her stuff that had been left in the doorway before shutting the door and making her way towards the bed as if nothing was wrong.

"So are you going to tell me or not?" Troy asked impatiently.

Settling herself down on the bed, Gabriella began to search through the bag of food she had, not looking up at him. "Tell you what?"

Troy let out a loud sigh growing extremely frustrated after the long day. "Tell me where you were! Gabriella, I've been worried sick!" Troy confessed, running a hand through his hair while he paced back and forth in front of the bed. "And you just sit here as if nothing is wrong."

Troy stopped pacing as he felt a small hand lightly grip his arm before his body was turned to face her. "Tomas, nothing is wrong. I'm here, I'm safe. I know you've had a long day and I'm sorry for not answering your calls earlier and worrying you. It's sweet that you are so worried about me, but really, I can take care of myself."

Troy just nodded, noting the pleading look in her eyes for him to calm down and trust her. "Are you ever going to tell me where you went though?"

Gabriella giggled at his persistence, pulling her sandwich out of the bag and holding it up to show him. "I went to get food. You really didn't expect me to just sit around in this hotel room all day, did you? Sure the hotel is nice, but I was really craving some fast food."

"How come you didn't answer your phone then? I must have called you fifty times."

"And here I thought you'd be so busy today that you wouldn't even miss me. My phone was off because it is dead. In my haste to leave last night, I forgot my charger," Gabriella explained, watching as he took a deep breath, finally calming down a bit. "Here," Gabriella pulled a french fry out of her bag before shoving it in his mouth, causing his face to scrunch up in confusion. "Eat something and relax. We're both safe, everything's done for the day, and honestly, you stressing out is stressing me out."

Nodding his head, Troy grinned as he realized she was right. Reaching his hand over to her bag, he pulled out a few more fries before popping them in his mouth, chuckling at Gabriella's shocked look. "What?"

"You jerk! Get your own fries! I've been craving some good fast food all day, and now you're eating it all."

"You're the one who stuffed a fry in my mouth earlier Montez!"

"Yeah one fry, Tomas! I never said you could have more," Gabriella playfully glared at him, hiding the bag behind her so it was out of Troy's reach.

Troy wasn't concerned any more with the food though. The moment his alias had slipped from her lips, realization dawned on Troy. He needed to introduce her to the real him. The thought scared him to death, afraid that she wouldn't feel the same about Troy Bolton as she did about Tomas Martinez. He could only hope that she would realize that his feelings for her remained the same and that hers would stay the same for him, regardless of his name and appearance.

"What's wrong? You look worried," Gabriella broke his train of thought, picking up on his sudden change in demeanor.

Troy sighed, shifting on the bed so he could face her better, his eyes staring into hers. "I was just thinking…months ago before all of this happened, I never pictured things turning out the way they did. I had just gotten out of another undercover job, and I went into this one hoping to advance my career by taking down the biggest mafia family in the region. I never thought for a second that I'd come out of it with a new outlook on life and my career."

Gabriella nodded briefly, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion as she tried to figure out where he was going with all of this.

Noticing her look, Troy took a deep breath before clarifying. "I quit today."

"You quit your job?" Gabriella asked, her jaw dropping in shock.

"Well, yeah. Not completely. I'll still be working there, just not as a field agent going undercover. Those days are done."

"Why?"

"Because before, I didn't have anyone to come back to."

Gabriella felt her breath catch in her throat at his confession. His words still echoed in her head as the meaning continued to sink in.

After nothing was said for a few moments, Troy felt the need to follow up his previous statement. "Listen Gabi, I don't want to freak you out or rush into anything, but this job changed me a bit. Even though I had my family, my friends, and Angie back home, my focus was still on my career. Sure it sucked sometimes going from one undercover assignment to another, but I kinda thrived on it. But after these last few months, I've realized that I don't want to be away from the people I care about for months at a time, both myself and them wondering if I'll be coming back alive. I want to live a semi-normal life…be able to have a normal job, have a family, to stop looking and living like someone else. I know we have a lot to talk about, but I really want to try and make things work between us. I realize though that while I know you, there's a lot of me that you don't know. So with that being said, I'm Troy Bolton," Troy finished with a small grin, holding out his hand for her to shake. "What would you like to know Miss Montez?"

Gabriella couldn't help but grin as she glanced down at his hand that was held out in front of her. Slowly she placed her tiny hand in his larger one, feeling a warmth spread through her at his touch. "Troy, huh?"

Chuckling nervously, Troy brought his hand up to rub the back of his neck. "Yeah."

"I was wondering what the 'T' stood for when I asked for the reservation under 'T. Bolton'. I spent all day thinking of names starting with 'T'."

"Nothing like being productive," Troy joked playfully.

"Don't judge! You weren't the one left alone for a whole day with nothing to do."

"Alright," Troy held his hands up in defense, laughing as she stared him down. "So what'd you come up with then?"

"Let's see, there was Trevor, Tony, Taylor,-"

"Taylor?! That's a girl's name."

"It can be a name for a boy too. Stop being so stereotypical," Gabriella ordered while Troy just chuckled, motioning for her to continue. "Then there was Tim, Thomas,-"

"Thomas?"

Gabriella just giggled as he shook his head at her. "What? I thought maybe the guys down at the FBI alias creating division were lacking on their creativity skills."

"Majorly lacking."

"Stop interrupting!"

"Fine, fine, continue," Troy chuckled.

"Tyler, Todd, Thaddeus, Thatcher, Thorbert,-"

"Thorbert!?? Now you're just making shit up," Troy interrupted, smiling as she erupted into giggles. "So Troy never crossed your mind, huh?"

"Nope. I guess it fits though. Personally, I like Thatcher though. I think I'm gonna call you that from now on."

"Don't you dare!" Troy told her sternly, shuddering at the thought causing Gabriella to laugh even more.

"I think you'd make a good Thatcher. We might need to change your wardrobe a bit though. Something tells me you need to be wearing polo shirts and slacks, with maybe a few sweaters as well."

"Not funny Montez."

Gabriella just laughed, going back to finish up her dinner, looking up as Troy watched her curiously with a serious look on his face. "What?"

"All joking aside, I know you have questions Gabi. You've had them for weeks I know, and I told you I couldn't tell you anything for your own safety. Well that's done with now. I want to be honest with you and answer any of your questions. I've tried to be as honest as I can with you these past few months, but that could only go to a certain extent, which means that you don't really know me."

Folding up the wrapper around her sandwich, Gabriella stuffed the remainder back in the bag before shifting on the bed so she was sitting with her legs crossed in front of her. She knew what he was getting at without saying it. She picked up that he was worried she wouldn't feel the same about him, once she found out who he really was. "Troy," Gabriella began, her hand reaching out to grasp his arm so he'd look at her. "I'm not going to up and leave you once I find out more about you."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, I stayed here in this stupid hotel room for almost twenty-four hours, waiting for you to show up. If I didn't want to give us a shot, I would have been long gone awhile ago."

"Stupid hotel room huh? Glad to know I wasted my money on an expensive room when I could have just put you up in a cheap Motel 6 room. I'm offended."

"Shut up," Gabriella muttered, shoving his shoulder while he laughed. "I guess you are right though. I do want to get to know you Troy, not because I need to know if I'll still have feelings with you…those feelings aren't going to change. That being said, I'd like to get to know you better."

Troy nodded in agreement, a small smile working its way onto his face as he got an idea. Leaning forward, Troy brushed his lips lightly against hers, his hand trailing up her arm to cup the back of her neck, gently pressing her closer. Troy broke the kiss a few moments later, but quickly brought his lips up to peck her forehead before standing up with a grin. "Come on," Troy told her, extending his hand to her.

Somewhat tentatively, Gabriella placed her hand into his, allowing him to entangle their fingers. "Where are we going?"

"To my place," Troy answered, picking up her bag of food with his other hand and leading her towards the closet where her bag was. Letting go of Troy's hand for a moment, Gabriella quickly stuffed all her belongings in the bag before grabbing his hand once more.

"Your place, huh?"

"Yeah, I figure what's the point of staying here in a hotel when we can stay at my place. I haven't been home in months. I miss my bed," Troy pouted playfully, opening the door for her and ushering her out, before closing it and taking her hand as they made their way down the hall. "Plus, what better way to get to know me then to see my place, meet my friends, meet Angie."

"Who's Angie?" Gabriella finally asked, being curious since he'd mentioned her name earlier.

"Angie is my friend Jason's daughter. Remember that time a few months ago when we went to get pizza and that little girl started crying and holding onto me?"

"Yeah," Gabriella answered as they reached the elevator and stepped inside.

"That's her."

Realization suddenly dawned on Gabriella as she recalled the angel tattoo on Troy's shoulder blade and the story behind it. "Your tattoo," Gabriella reached up to touch his shoulder blade, her fingers lightly ghosting over his shirt where the tattoo was underneath. "She's the one you got it for?"

Troy nodded, his hand enveloping Gabriella's once more after hers trailed back down his arm to her side. "Yeah, she is. Although the story I told you before wasn't quite true," he admitted, continuing as he saw her listening intently. "Angie's mom died a little over a year after she was born. The night it happened, Jason had just finished up a case he'd been working on for months. The guy he'd been after was into all kinds of shit, and he was going away for life. When J got home that night, his wife came out to greet him. Turns out, the guy's brother had followed him home and ended up shooting her before speeding off."

Gabriella gasped and brought her hand up to her mouth. "Right in front of him?" Troy nodded sadly. "Did they catch the guy at least?"

"A little over a year later, they did. Right after it happened, Jason went into a major depression though. He couldn't take care of himself really, let alone Angie. His parents decided it'd be best if he lived with them for awhile, and they asked me if I'd take Angie in since I'd already been stepping in to watch her a lot. So I worked fewer hours and took care of her for about ten months; Chad and our buddy Zeke taking turns as well when I had to work. After that, J got better and ended up coming back to work around a year after the incident. Then a few months after that, he tracked down the guy."

"Did he end up in prison?"

Troy shook his head as they walked out of the elevator and headed towards his car. "He ended up getting the death penalty. The guy was wanted for another murder as well. We had to hold J back from killing the guy the day we arrested him though, but we couldn't really blame him. He had to watch his wife die in his arms. I still don't know how he made it through all of that, but I know Angie is a huge part of it now. He adores that little girl."

"Sounds like you do too," Gabriella smiled, stepping into the car as he opened the door for her.

"I do. I've missed her like crazy these past few months. Wait till you meet her, you're gonna love her," Troy told her, his eyes lit up and a huge smile on his face as he spoke of her, causing Gabriella's face to light up as well.

"I can't wait."

---

After a twenty minute drive to Troy's house, most of which was spent with Gabriella firing off questions and learning more about Troy, the two stepped out of Troy's car and made their way up the sidewalk to the front door.

Troy stopped though when his eyes glanced over to the backyard next door, spotting Angie in the backyard playing with some toys.

Seeing the way his face lit up upon seeing the little girl, Gabriella had no doubts as to who she was and quickly followed Troy when he took off for the gate leading to Jason's backyard.

Quietly, Troy stepped into the backyard, closing the gate and walking over to where Angie was busy playing with a tea set. Gabriella couldn't help but smile while she watched Troy sit down, smiling from ear to ear as he looked at the little girl who still hadn't noticed his presence.

Troy scooted a little closer, smiling over at Gabriella who was now standing behind him, before leaning over and picking up a cup from the ground, holding it out to the little girl. "Can I have some?"

"Uncle Twoy!!"

Before Troy could react, he found himself flat on the ground with Angie's arms wrapped tightly around his neck while she squeezed him as tightly as she could. "Hey Angel face," Troy finally spoke up, bringing his hand up to rub her back gently. "Miss me?"

Angie didn't say anything, but instead nodded enthusiastically in response with her face still buried in Troy's shoulder.

"I missed you too kid," Troy whispered, bringing his arms up to hug her tightly before sitting up.

Gabriella just looked on quietly, not wanting to interrupt the reunion between the two of them. She had remembered the first time she'd seen Angie and how she'd reacted when she saw Troy and was then torn away. She couldn't imagine what it was like for a little girl to go through all that she had, but she knew that both Angie and Troy needed this moment.

After what seemed like not long enough to Troy, Angie pulled back from the hug, seating herself in Troy's lap and looking up at him with her face completely lit up. Reaching her tiny hands up, she tugged on Troy's hair, looking at it curiously. "Your hair is still diffewent."

"It is," Troy laughed, pulling his hair out of her grasp, "but it will be back to normal soon."

Angie wiggled her hand out of Troy's grasp, placing it on his cheek. "I missed you so much Uncle Twoy."

"I know Angel," Troy sighed, leaning down and kissing her cheek as he pulled her into another hug, taking a moment to glance up at Gabriella who was smiling at the two of them.

Angie shifted her head on Troy's shoulder, her eyebrows scrunching up in confusion when she noticed Gabriella standing there. "Uncle Twoy?"

"Yeah Angel?"

"Who's that?"

Troy whipped his head around, following Angie's eyes to where Gabriella was standing. Troy smiled before standing up and walking over to Gabriella with Angie still clinging to him.

"Angie, this is Gabriella. Gabriella, meet Angie."

Angie kept her hands wrapped tightly around Troy's neck while she looked curiously at Gabriella, who smiled at her before extending her hand. "Hi Angie. You can call me Gabi if you want."

Finally, a smile crept on the little girl's face as she reached out and shook Gabriella's hand, never loosening her grasp on Troy's neck with her other hand. "Hi Gabi."

"Your Uncle Troy told me a lot about you. It's nice to meet you."

"You too," Angie responded shyly, laying her head on Troy's shoulder as he rubbed her back. "Uncle Twoy?"

"Yeah Angel?" Troy answered when she lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him. "I like her. She's pwetty."

Troy laughed along with Gabriella before leaning down to whisper something in Angie's ear, but being certain it was loud enough that Gabriella could hear. "I think she's very pretty too." Troy admitted to her, his eyes though completely focused on Gabriella, who blushed at his comment.

The moment between them was broken though by the sound of the sliding door opening. "Hey Troy!"

"Hey J!" Troy greeted, walking over with Angie still in his arms, giving his friend a hug.

"I saw you back here with Angie, but I figured I'd leave you two alone for a bit. You happy your Uncle Troy is back?" Jason asked her, immediately earning an emphatic nod. "I know we keep telling you this, but not a day went by where she didn't ask about you. Sometimes I think she loves you more man," Jason added jokingly.

Troy laughed, shifting Angie in his arms while shaking his head. "Nah man, she just misses my chocolate milk is all. Oh, by the way," Troy said, taking a few steps closer to Gabriella and placing an arm around her to usher her forwards. "This is Gabriella."

"Hey," Jason greeted, stepping forward to shake her hand. "I'm Jason. I've heard a lot about you from Troy and Chad. Apparently Troy here loves to talk about you," he added, wincing when Troy socked him in the shoulder.

"Uncle Twoy?"

"Yeah Angel?" Troy answered, both he and Gabriella grateful for the interruption.

"Did you say chocowate miwk? Can you make me some?"

"You have to ask your dad," Troy told her, laughing at her adorable puppy face.

"Daddy, can I have some?"

Jason smiled, ruffling her hair with a nod. "Sure thing Angel. Let's go inside and get some."

"Yay!"

"Told you she just missed the chocolate milk," Troy chuckled, intertwining his fingers with Gabriella and pulling her along as the four of them went inside.

---

Troy hopped out of the shower, wiping off the steam on the mirror and grinning in satisfaction when he noticed his hair had returned almost to its normal color. It was still darker than usual, but the solution he'd used to remove the color had worked good enough for now.

Quickly putting on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, Troy headed out of the bathroom to find Gabriella, who he'd hoped hadn't found any embarrassing pictures of him in the time he left her to look around his house.

He felt a smile creep on his face when he walked by his guest room that was home to all of his trophies and other awards, and noticed her standing there gazing down at a picture in hand.

Softly treading across the carpeted floor, Troy snuck up behind her, placing his arms around her waist while he pulled her body back to lean against his. "Find anything interesting Montez?"

Gabriella giggled, glancing back down at the photo before looking up at him. "Just some cute pictures of you. I take it you like basketball?"

"Love it," Troy admitted, "used to live and breathe it."

"I can tell," Gabriella agreed amusedly, setting Troy's senior year basketball picture down before picking up another one from his early junior high days, erupting in laughter when she looked at it.

"Something funny?" Troy deadpanned playfully, unable to stop his own smile. "I got braces soon after that, trust me."

"Aww, the gap is kind of cute though," Gabriella teased, pointing out the small gap in the picture between his two front teeth.

"I can't believe my parents didn't get me braces sooner than that. Seriously, that screams geek right there."

"I think it's adorable," Gabriella giggled, placing the picture back before spinning around in Troy's arms, her eyes widening as she noticed his hair. She couldn't resist bringing her fingers up and examining a few strands before running her fingers through his hair and down to his neck where her fingers played with the hair there at the back of his neck.

"Different huh?"

Gabriella blinked a few times, bringing herself out of her stare and connecting her eyes with Troy's, which were now their normal blue color. "Yeah, it is. In a good way though. I couldn't really picture it before, but I like it."

"Good to know you're not going to ditch me because of my hair color," Troy teased.

"Of course not," Gabriella agreed. "But, if the gap came back, I can't guarantee the same thing."

Troy dropped his jaw, pretending to be shocked for a moment before shaking his head at himself. "Eh, I'd dump me too if the gap returned."

Gabriella giggled, leaning up to capture his lips with hers. "I'm just messing with you. You can't get rid of me that easily."

"Well so far, I haven't scared you off, and neither has my past," Troy began, taking her hand and pulling her out of the room towards his front door. "Let's head over to see Chad in the hospital though. If he doesn't scare you off, then I don't know what would."

---

Troy stopped outside of the hospital room, looking inside the small window to see Chad sitting up in his hospital bed, looking unhappy as he talked with one of the nurses. Knocking and pushing open the door, Troy wasted no time making fun of his friend.

"Danforth, stop harassing the nurses. They will not be bribed to go get McDonald's for you. You're not cute enough for that."

"Hey, your brown hair is back!" Chad exclaimed, ignoring his comment. "Is that why it took so long for you to come and see me? Too busy styling your hair? I swear, the least you could do is come visit the guy who took a bullet for you man."

Troy laughed, pulling a bag from behind his back. "I brought you food, does that count for something?"

"I knew there was a reason you were my best friend!" Chad smiled like a little kid on Christmas morning, eagerly snatching the bag of fast food from Troy and immediately stuffing his mouth. "Mmmm sooo good. This definitely beats whatever excuse for a meal they tried to feed me earlier."

"Glad you like it man," Troy chuckled, turning back to glance at Gabriella over his shoulder, who was standing by the door, motioning for her to step forward.

"So that's the reason it took so long for you to come see me!" Chad exclaimed, a light bulb going off in his head. "It's alright man, I would choose her over me too."

"Chad, stop trying to flirt with her, she's taken," Troy scolded, gently grabbing Gabriella's forearm and tugging her into his side.

"You mean you picked some pretty boy like him over a man like me?"

"What makes you more of a man than me?"

"I took a bullet today, what did you do?"

Troy shook his head, exchanging an amused glance with Gabriella. "You're gonna hold that over my head for awhile, aren't you?"

"You got it. Anyways, are you going to properly introduce me to your girl there, or are the two of you just going to have eye sex all night?" Chad asked, causing Gabriella's cheeks to flush pink in embarrassment.

Troy pulled Gabriella into his side before sending a confused look to Chad. "Eye sex? Really man?"

"I read it in one of those magazines," Chad admitted, gesturing to the stack next to his bed. "You'd think they'd have some sports magazines up in here, but no. There were some nice smelling perfume samples in some of those though, I must say. Enough about that though, get on with it Bolton! Introduce us!"

"Right," Troy said, walking closer to the bed and pulling Gabriella with him. "Chad, Gabriella. Gabriella, Chad," Troy introduced quickly.

"It's nice to finally meet the girl who turned my best friend into a babbling idiot over the past few months."

"Nice to meet you too," Gabriella giggled, shaking his hand before wrapping her arm back around Troy's waist.

"So I heard everything went smoothly, aside from you beating the crap out of Raul during questioning."

"He had it coming."

"I bet he did. That asshole shot me. How does it feel though to be done man?"

Troy sighed, the grin tugging at his lips revealing his true feelings. "It feels great. I'm glad it's finally over," Troy told him, those two short sentences summing it up for Troy. Months earlier, he'd been pissed off at the Chief for being assigned the job. But now with taking down the Montez family and a huge crime ring along the way, and with having Gabriella by his side free from her old life, Troy couldn't help but smile. It was finally over.

* * *

**Erin & Corri AN: We are so sorry for the months between these last updates. Thanks to all who are still reading, we appreciate it! Just the epilogue left now. We appreciate everyone's support and reviews on this story. There's a banner posted for this story now on Erin's profile for you guys to check out if you want. Thanks again! **


	38. AN

i doubt any of you remember me haha but i've been debating on coming back but under a new account, walkingproof. it already has a story posted on the account but i truly miss writing and i miss everyone i met here, i just thought i would check to see if i came back who all would be interested in reading my stories. Miss you guys! Let me know(:


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